They met in Venice
by bug-a-lugs926
Summary: Hermione and Draco met in Venice and he saves her life. Things develop from there. Check it out. R&R please. DM/HG **Finished**
1. Default Chapter

They met in Venice by Bugalugs_926  
  
We are two friends that are completely obsessed with Harry Potter. This is our first Fan Fic so please be kind Review encouraged and definitely suggestions, go the suggestions! Horray!  
  
Chapter 1 - Hermione in Venice  
  
Hermione closed her soft brown eyes and took a deep breath, Mmm. Pizza. She stood in the small pizza parlour down the street from her hotel. She had followed her nose and her stomach, which, by the way, was quite hungry, to the small, but cosy, pizza parlour. The mouth watering, savoury smell had wafted through her open window as she read through some of the text books listed as required for her 7th year at Hogwarts School of witchcraft and wizardry. Hermione and her parents had made it to Diagon Alley earlier this year, two months earlier, to be precise, on Hermione's request, she thought she might need something to read while Venice and she certainly would need time to memorise her texts.  
  
She walked to the sky blue counter and looked at the menu list; Peperoni, Hawaiian, supreme. She scanned the list of toppings and ultimately decided on her favourites; half supreme, half meat lovers. The acne faced muggle told her it would be a 15 minute wait, so Hermione wandered into the ice cream shop, conveniently placed next door and bought herself one. She sat and enjoyed her ice cream while her pizza was cooking. She stared around the room, there were people scattered here and there, around the restaurant, it was almost empty. There was a tiny newborn baby in a pram at the table next to her, the baby seemed focused on Hermione's bright red muggle t-shirt. Hermione smiled, she had an urge to hold the baby and let its tiny hand grasp her fingers, to touch the fluffy strawberry blonde hair upon its head and tickle the bottom of its booties. Hermione couldn't wait to be a mother, not that she was going to run out and get herself pregnant, but even so, when she was 25 and had a good job and a husband, she would then start a family and be the mother she always wanted to be, to patch them up when they fell over and hug them when they cry.  
  
Hermione felt someone tugging on the corner of her jacket, "That's my little sister, her name is Angela, but I like to call her Angie." Hermione looked down at the little boy staring up unknowingly at her, his mousy brown hair cut neatly above his ears and at his forehead. His soft brown eyes matched his hair perfectly; they twinkled at the baby with pride only a brother could have.  
  
"She's very beautiful. What's your name?" Hermione smiled as the boy beamed at her.  
  
"My name is Brandon and this is Snuffles" Hermione giggled, when she saw that Snuffles was a small stuffed toy in the form of a black dog.  
  
"What's so funny," said the little boy looking quite offended, "he's my friend."  
  
"He just reminds me of a friend of mine," Hermione replied, she saw the boy's expression change quickly as he immediately began to giggle too. The two of them started laughing together and were only interrupted by the boy's mother grabbing him by the arm and leading him away. Hermione once again diverted her eyes to the baby, her angelic face fitting her name perfectly.  
  
"Granger."  
  
Hermione walked up to the counter for her pizza, she pulled some crinkled muggle notes from her pocket and paid the pimpled faced muggle, she took the warm pizza and left the shop. On her way out she winked at Brandon, who blinked back at her, Hermione giggled at his attempted wink and slowly made her way back to her hotel.  
  
~~~***~~~  
  
Hermione's mother was standing in the middle of the room; she had obviously been pacing the floor and was looking very flustered. Her father on the other hand was no where in sight. Their luggage was spread around the room and her mother's shopping bags on the bed.  
  
"Hermione, where have you been? I know you are almost 17 but that does not mean you can leave without telling us where you've gone. You've never been to Venice before and this is only your second night here. What if you got lost? Don't you ever do that again!" She said, finally taking a breath. Hermione thought she was over reacting.  
  
"Where's dad?" Hermione asked hoping to change the subject to avoid getting herself in serious trouble.  
  
"Out looking for you, missy! He was so worried, he's very angry and you can be the one who explains where you were," Hermione's mother took a deep breath and glanced at the pizza in Hermione's hand, "where were you?"  
  
"I was hungry so I got some pizza; it was just down the street, not even a block away. I left a message with the door man to tell you when you got back but he mustn't have seen you." Hermione looked at her mother, silently pleading for her to just let it drop so they could enjoy their holiday. But unfortunately for Hermione her mother had no intention of letting this drop.  
  
"I can't believe you would do this, Hermione, you are usually so sensible, why didn't you wait for us, we would have been back in five minutes?" Hermione's mother was beginning to go red in the face and frankly, so was Hermione, she couldn't understand why her mother was so angry, it was only down the street and she had her wand with her. Hermione told her mother this, but it only proved to make her angrier.  
  
"Hermione Granger we both know if you use magic you will be expelled from Hogwarts and you only have one more year to go!"  
  
"I'm allowed to use it in extreme emergencies, mother!" Hermione emphasised this last word and her mother began to go purple.  
  
"I don't care, Hermione. You still could have gotten lost, anything could have happened!"  
  
"I was perfectly safe and I can take care of myself. I don't have to take this from you." Hermione said, her tone threatening her mother to keep going.  
  
"You most certainly do, young lady!" Hermione was silently swearing at her, her mother was definitely pushing it.  
  
The door opened behind Hermione and her father walked in he looked at her and calmly asked, "where have you been?"  
  
"Oh," Hermione was fed up, she had had it, "not you too! I'm not taking this anymore I'm leaving, I'll be back when you've calmed down!"  
  
She walked out with her pizza and some muggle money. She slammed the door behind her and the second she done it she knew it was the most stupid thing she had ever done. But her pride forbade her from going back in there and apologising. As she was walking out the hotel doors, her first thought was, my first night on the street and I don't even know where Flinders Cabin is.  
  
(A/n - Flinders Cabin is the Venice equivalent to the Leaky Cauldron)  
  
~~~***~~~  
  
Hermione found a bench near the water and sat down to enjoy her almost stone cold pizza, she ate in solitude, a horrible feeling creeping into her stomach; dread. It was getting darker by the minute and she had no where to go. The cool summer breeze blew one of her soft curls across her face and she tucked it neatly behind her ear as she began to eat.  
  
I don't have to spend the night here, but it would serve them right if I did.  
  
"Excuse me miss, but that's my bench," a young man was standing near her, he was horribly dirty and she could smell him from five metres away. She felt like vomiting, but she kept it down. "But, I'd be glad to share it with you if you'll give me some pizza."  
  
He smiled at her, revealing several yellow, rotting teeth. The urge to vomit came over her again, but she tried to ignore it. He was very young to be in that sort of situation, homeless, he was only about 25 years old. Hermione didn't want to share anything with him, but she pitied the poor man, she took another piece of pizza for herself and gave him the rest of it.  
  
"Thank you for your offer," she said, trying to smile at him, "but I have somewhere to stay tonight."  
  
"Oh, well, don't leave, we can sit and talk, I get a bit lonely sometimes." He flashed a desperate smile that made Hermione want to retch.  
  
She looked him up and down, his hair was matted with dirt and he was awfully skinny, he reminded her of Sirius when she first met him in her third year. He had a long jacket, it was brown with dirt, much the same as his green woollen jumper and red tracksuit pants. He sat down and slid disgustingly close to Hermione.  
  
Hermione, on impulse, stood up quickly. "I don't think so," there was just something about him that gave her the creeps. She started walking in what she hoped was the right direction to get to her hotel.  
  
"Oh, now don't leave like this. Don't leave angry at me." The man started to follow her, and Hermione began to walk faster. "Where are you going, sweet heart?"  
  
"Look, my parents are waiting for me, they know exactly where I am and my dad is a black belt, so I need to get home really quick or he'll be very angry"  
  
Okay, so that was really cheesy, but I'm really scared, this guy is creeping me out. She reached into her pocket to retrieve her only source of protection, her wand. Her heart skipped a beat as she felt the emptiness of her left pocket, she immediately checked the right pocket, but it was only full of chocolate wrappers. She'd left her wand back at the hotel.  
  
"Don't worry, baby, I'll look after you." She could feel his eyes wandering all over her body. A shiver ran up her spine and she began to feel sick. She needed help. Glancing around her, she noticed a dark navy blue car slowing down and pulling into the curb.  
  
Thank you, Lord, finally some help.  
  
"Help, help me!" Hermione pleaded as she tapped on the window. She watched as the window slid down and revealed a nice looking man in business clothes and white sparkling teeth, someone who could be suitably called 'Uncle.'  
  
"Don't worry, honey, hop in and I'll drive you home." His voice melted like syrup and she wasted no time in jumping into the back seat of the shiny car.  
  
The car was new, the seat belt slid down easily and clicked into place. She sunk into the soft seat and with a sigh of relief she closed her eyes. Hermione was hardly aware of the homeless man climbing into the back with her, but the sound of his seat belt as the car drove away from the curb was enough to raise the hair on the back of her neck. Without opening her eyes, she subtly reached her hand to the door handle and pulled it, only to find it locked. Goosebumps appeared all over her body as she thought of what these men could do to her. She didn't dare mention the homeless man's presence because the man she, now, wouldn't call 'Uncle' if someone gave her all the money in the world, definitely knew he was there. It was made obvious when they exchanged a few quiet words. The homeless man leaned over towards Hermione, she opened her eyes, but remained silent, she didn't want to give them the satisfaction. Her heart filled with panic and when the car drove by her hotel. It was alive with people and the lights in the rooms and hallways made it glow. Any hope of getting out of this situation disappeared as she watched the lights of her hotel fade into the distance.  
  
She thought of the last thing she said to her parents, the last thing she said to Harry and Ron. She thought of the promise she made to Crookshanks after leaving him at Magical Menagerie, the promise to be back soon and to give him and extra big fish for Christmas if he was good while she was gone.  
  
The car stopped at a house only a respected man of society could live in, in its front garden grew Hermione's favour flower, carnations, yellow in colour with a blood red lining on the edge of each delicate petal. Hermione, later, wondered why she noticed this, it was the most inappropriate time for such a thought.  
  
The driver turned around and said to the homeless man, "Use the rope to tie her up. I'll be back in a sec." He got out of the car and headed towards the house. Hermione glanced at the floor and saw the worn rope in a heap at the homeless man's feet. Oh shit! Her eyes widened in horror as the man pulled a gun from his jacket and held it to her temple.  
  
"Don't try anything stupid. We wouldn't want your pretty face all over the backseat."  
  
Hermione closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She felt the man take her hands and she presumed he'd put the gun down. How else would he use both his hands?  
  
Right, how the hell am I going to get myself out of this mess. Plan A: get the gun, shoot this bastard and run like hell. If that doesn't work, refer to Plan B. Right, what's Plan B. DAMMIT HERMIONE!!! YOU'RE THE SMARTEST WITCH IN HOGWARTS AND YOU CAN'T BEAT A STUPID MUGGLE??? She paused for a second. Okay, he isn't a wizard so you're entitled to call him a muggle when you're a muggle yourself. Just a muggle who's a witch. Snap out of it Hermione, try and get the gun.  
  
She opened her eyes and realised two things at once. One, the gun was now back in homeless man's hand, pointed at her temple. Two, her hands were tied, along with her feet.  
  
Okay, now I have a Plan B: Scream. Scream very loudly.  
  
She opened her mouth to scream, but was cut off half-way by the homeless man's grimy hand. SHIT!!! Plan C!!! Plan C!!! CRAP!!!!  
  
Hermione was leaning up against the door, and yelped when she suddenly fell backward, onto the pavement outside. She winced when her head hit the concrete and a searing pain shot through her head. It felt like her skull was vibrating and she could just make out a blurry image of a pale boy with silvery hair.  
  
"Draco?!" Then everything went black.  
  
End chapter one.  
  
AN: Did you like? Please Please Review. Please let me know or I wont waste my time writing any more. 


	2. draco in venice

Okay chapter 2...Um...yeah its just Draco's point of view of what happened in chapter one, plus a little bit more. Hope you like. Don't forget to review.  
  
Oh and I own nothing it all belongs to the wonderfully fabulous Joanne Kathleen Rowling. Bless her.  
  
Chapter 2 - Draco in Venice  
  
Draco looked at his mother, she looked blank. Her face was pale and her eyes were empty, it disturbed Draco to see his mother so empty of feeling. Her eyes were usually filled with emotion, Lucius could read her thoughts so easily, and it made him feel powerful. However, this time was different. Lucius was annoyed at her lack of emotion and feeling in her eyes, Draco had never seen his mother like this before.  
  
"Mother?" Draco asked his voice just as empty as her eyes, though, in his heart, he was worried. "Father and I are leaving now. Goodbye."  
  
He was walking to the door, when he heard a sob from his mother, he turned and she crumpled to the black marble floor. His father kept a close eye on him, what ever comfort he could have offered his mother must be kept for somewhere private. It was always like this, the only person who he ever loved, the only person who ever loved him was crying in a heap in front of him and he was about to turn and leave her for the entire summer holidays. Though this weighed heavily in his heart, he turned to walk out the door, following Lucius.  
  
"Draco!" The cry was muffled, but both he and his father heard it clearly. Draco stopped and looked at his father. Lucius didn't need to threaten him, Draco already knew his punishment if he went back to her.  
  
Goodbye, mother. He was gone.  
  
~~~***~~~  
  
Somehow, Venice was not as enchanting this time around. Draco's thoughts were unwillingly focused on the state he had left his mother in; sobbing, crumpled in a ball on the cold marble floor in the entrance of Malfoy Manor. Lucius had brought Draco to Venice for his initiation into the death eaters; Draco was not looking forward to this. Narcissa had made him promise never to commit himself to the Dark Lord, unless his life was in danger. He promised this when Narcissa was on, what seemed to be, her death bed. This was only 2 years ago, the summer when Cedric Diggory died, when Voldemort returned to human form. While the Dark Lord was merely a shadow Narcissa had thought him no longer a threat to her son, but when he returned she had immediately extracted this promise from Draco, knowing he would keep it.  
  
Draco was unsure of his fate, but he knew his life would change drastically before the end of the summer. His father was renting a private home on the outskirts of the city, but Draco preferred to be out of the way, he frequently stayed the night in a hotel room in the city centre. He picked standard muggle hotels, hoping his father would not find him, though he did return to his father, just enough to keep him happy. Draco spent a week like this, on his own in a hotel, he ate take away muggle food for dinner and thoroughly missed wizard chocolate frogs, Draco never told anyone but he had been collecting the cards since he was seven years old. Through sheer boredom, Draco took to wandering the streets of the city and came to know it very well, he knew the best muggle restaurants and entertainment venues, once he even gave directions to a muggle tourist asking for the Matice hotel, of course his directions took the tourist to the city dump, but at least he knew where it was.  
  
~~~***~~~  
  
Sunshine crept through a small break in the lacy curtains of Draco's small hotel room and crawled across his yellow bed sheets and on to his pale face, the golden sunshine made his silver hair glow, making him look like an angel. Of course, looks can be deceiving. Draco's eyes flicked open and glanced around the room, the Holy Bible sat on the bed side table and a painting of a pink baby, surrounded by delicate petals above his bag of things. He pulled his blanket off himself and swung his legs over the side of the bed. After throwing pieces of clothing all over the room, he finally found his slippers, surprisingly, in the bottom of the cupboard, where he left them!  
  
After a shower and a few minutes of boring muggle TV, Draco decided find some breakfast. He wandered down the street in search of a breakfast bar of some sort; he crossed the street dodging muggle cars left and right. Draco was headed to a café he had eaten at before; they definitely had delicious crepes, covered with maple syrup and ice cream. Oh, he could taste them already. Glancing through the café windows he noticed an attractive girl standing at the counter, her light brown curls falling just past her shoulders, they softly flipped over her face and she turned to walk to a table. He gasped as he recognised her. Hermione Granger. Draco turned and quickly made his way back to his hotel, without breakfast.  
  
Draco ordered room service and stayed inside his room all day, though he wouldn't admit it to himself, Draco was avoiding seeing Hermione again. The next morning was much the same; Draco soon became frustrated at being cooped up in his room all day and ultimately decided to go for a walk. In the evening, Draco passed Hermione in the street, though she didn't notice him. Draco watched her pass by him and through boredom alone, he followed her. Hermione walked slowly down the street, following her nose the whole way, Draco creeping behind her. Draco paused and watched Hermione enter the small pizza parlour; he had eaten there once before. Her soft brown curls bouncing as she stepped into the shop, warm with the smell of pizza, her sweat pants and bright red t-shirt, catching the eye of the few people at the tables. Draco watched her order, oblivious to the ugly muggle behind the counter, checking her out. Stupid pimple faced, muggle, prat, wouldn't have any chance in the world with a girl like Hermione. What's this.Jealously? NO WAY. He can have her. She sat looking desolate and deep in thought, all the while smiling at a tiny baby in a pram. Draco left her this way deciding to take an evening walk, remind himself of Venice's beauty, the beauty Draco never usually cared to look at, but this time something was different. His thoughts drifted to Hermione sitting in the parlour, sitting alone, how dare she sit alone in my thoughts? Why do I let her sit there, smiling with twinkling eyes? Twinkling eyes? Get a grip, woah, anyone would think you liked the girl. Shut up, Malfoy, just shut up! Mudbloods do not belong in the thoughts of a Malfoy. He sat there thinking, for how long he didn't know. His thoughts were broken when an old woman asked for the time. It was late and he was getting tired, turning he headed for the hotel, the old woman cursing him for not answering her.  
  
~~~***~~~  
  
He glanced to his left and saw a distressed Hermione walking rapidly in his direction. Oh no! He search for a quick exit, and found nothing. He cursed silently, realising he couldn't avoid her this time. Dammit Draco. You are a Malfoy and Malfoy's don't run away. He clenched his fists and waited for Hermione to approach him. To his surprise, he saw Hermione get into a navy blue car, followed closely by a disgusting, homeless man. What's Granger doing getting inside a car with a homeless man? A homeless man who's winking at the driver??? It didn't take him long to realise Hermione was in trouble. Shit! Why me? Why did I have to be here right now? Walk away Draco. Just walk away. She's.she.she's a.just a mudblood.a mudblood who's going to be in serious trouble if I don't start running right now. Dammit. Why do I have morals?  
  
He started running, but no matter how fast he ran, he couldn't catch up. The car disappeared around a corner and he slowed his run to a walk. He'd lost the car, and with it, Hermione. He sighed with what he thought was relief, but kept on walking, trying to keep Hermione out of his head.  
  
After turning one corner and passing several houses with gardens filled with every flower imaginable, he saw his mother's favourite flower, tulips, in the garden of a house with wind chimes on the veranda. He felt a pang of guilt as he thought of the way he'd left her at Malfoy Manor.  
  
He spotted a familiar navy blue car about three houses down, he walked quietly towards the car. There was a man dressed neatly fumbling at the door of the house, the driver. Draco walked to the back door of the driver's side of the car and tried the handle. To his great surprise it was unlocked. He was even more surprised when out tumbled a very shocked Hermione; her head hit the concrete with a sickening crack.  
  
"Draco?!" She managed to whisper his name before passing out. His icy grey eyes widened in alarm when he noticed her hands and feet tied. So stupid mudblood couldn't handle this on her own. He smirked. The homeless man had climbed out of the car and was now pointing the gun towards the back of Draco's head.  
  
"Don't move."  
  
"And I should allow myself to be ordered around by a filthy muggle like you?" Draco replied smoothly, completely unaware of the fact that he had a dangerous weapon pointed squarely at his head.  
  
"Mug- what?"  
  
Draco turned around and found himself face-to-face with a metal black thing, pointing between his eyes. He looked from the filthy muggle's face, to the filthy muggle's hand, to the metal, black thing, back to his face. He raised an eyebrow at the muggle and moved the gun away from his head.  
  
He suddenly heard what sounded very much like one of those incredibly loud firecrackers he used to set off when he was a kid. It took all of his self control, not to jump a mile at the sound and he stared at the metal, black thing in astonishment.  
  
"Shit! What was that?"  
  
"What? Never seen a gun before kid?" The homeless man looked amused at the thought of Draco not knowing what a gun was.  
  
"Can't say that I have. Have you ever seen a wand before?" Draco pulled his wand out of his pocket and twirled it around his fingers.  
  
The man looked confused, "That's nothing but a stick!"  
  
"Stupefy" The homeless man fell unconscious to the pavement; Draco couldn't resist making one last comment, "ever seen a stick do that?" He smirked and turned to Hermione, she was still unconscious. Draco bent down and pulled his muggle pocket knife from his left sock. He had acquired his knife two days ago at the markets; he found it quite useful for peeling oranges. Careful not to cut Hermione, Draco gently removed the rope binds from her hands and feet. He bent down and put his right arm under her knees, his left arm held her across her back; she gave a small groan as he lifted her up from the concrete pavement. Her head rested comfortably on his shoulder and he could fell her warm breath on his neck.  
  
"Hey, you there, what do you think you're doing?"  
  
Draco froze and slowly turned to face the man who had previously been fumbling at the door of the house. He had to think fast, there was no way he could use his wand while holding Hermione.  
  
"I'm leaving with the girl," Draco replied his voice confident and challenging, "I suggest you let me go, unless," he paused, to give effect, "you want to get into serious trouble, abusing a poor, defenceless, young girl, shame on you."  
  
Draco watched the man approach him, "What exactly do you plan to do if I don't let you go?" The man assumed control of the situation.  
  
"You think I care about this girl? Do you think I wouldn't hesitate to drop her run leaving you with an unconscious girl and a witness? Now, where would that leave you?"  
  
"Go on then, leave her and run," the man's eyes gleamed, daring him to go, but knowing he wouldn't.  
  
Draco slowly bent down and laid Hermione on the pavement again. "Righto," he said, giving the man a smirk, "I'll see you later, then."  
  
Draco turned to leave, he stepped over Hermione's limp form on the concrete. Draco felt the man's eyes watching him the whole time; Draco subtly retrieved his wand from his right pocket.  
  
"Wait, don't take another step." The man had retrieved the gun from the homeless man's side and was pointing it at Draco. He had already seen what that thing could do and was not about to wait for it to do it again.  
  
"Stupefy" The man fell just the same as the other one did, the gun falling to the concrete next to him. Draco looked around; it must have been quite a sight, one teenage boy, three unconscious people and a gun. The sound of police sirens filled the air and Draco was not about to stick around to see what came next. He picked up Hermione same as before her head falling once again on his shoulder. He walked quickly in the direction of his hotel, not knowing where else to take her.  
  
The door man looked at him curiously as he held the door open for him, Draco smiled, "she had a bit too much wine," the door man nodded and winked at him. Draco managed to get Hermione up to his room, though he did so with great difficulty. He laid her gently on his bed, her hair still and soft and tender as it was that morning in the café.  
  
Her eyes fluttered open, "Draco?" she whispered, "what."  
  
"Shh, just sleep," he pulled the blankets over her and grabbed a pillow for himself, he threw the pillow on the floor and lay down, glancing one last time at Hermione before falling asleep.  
  
End chapter two  
  
Now its time to review. Comments. Suggestions. Praise (hee hee) 


	3. The real Malfoy

Here it is chapter three. Thank you to everyone who reviewed hopefully I pull in as many reviews for this chapter as I did for the last one. 12 reviews, I love you people. Oh and the dotted lines are driving me nuts (but it might only be on my computer) Ignore them they are not there for a reason they are there because I cant get rid of them. Well, I wont keep you. Read. Review. Suggest.  
  
Chapter 3 - The real Malfoy  
  
Hermione woke on a strange bed with a splitting headache; she groaned and opened her eyes. A blurry vision of an unknown room, filled with stuff that didn't belong to her. Her memory of what happened the night before came flooding back and she sat bolt upright, though, afterwards, she wished she didn't because as soon as she did, she felt weak and her body threatened to collapse on the floor. Hermione figured she must be in the house with those two horrible men, well, you can imagine her surprise when she saw Draco, wet and in nothing, but a towel.  
  
"Hermione!" Before this, Hermione had not thought it possible for Draco's face to possess anything besides the emotionless expression it always wore, however, there it was, plain as day, a rosy pink blush appearing all over his normally pale face.  
  
"Malfoy!?" Hermione could feel a smile trying to creep upon her lips, but she fought hard to keep it under control. "Um.Good morning!?"  
  
I.um.Malfoy.he.I.Wow.Hermione you are acting like a school girl! Turn around, for goodness sake, don't stare!!! She scolded herself for looking and quick as she could she spun around and apologised profusely.  
  
"Just gimme a minute will you!" Draco dashed back into the bathroom and shut the door locking it behind him. He hadn't expected Hermione to be awake yet; he walked towards the mirror and glanced at his glowing face. He never thought it a problem before, being naked in front of a girl. In fact, the girl was usually the one to blush and he would smirk at them and make some egotistical comment, but it was Hermione who was smiling at him! While rubbing his hair dry with the towel, he realised his clothes where near the bed, with Hermione. Dammit! Draco slapped his forehead with his hand. You idiot! What are you gonna do now, smart arse?  
  
There was a soft knock at the door, "Um.Malfoy?" Hermione spoke through the door, "do you want your clothes?"  
  
Draco shut his eyes and breathed out, "Yes, Granger. They would be helpful!" His harsh tone of voice sliced through the door and cut Hermione's hope of him being at least civil to her.  
  
Okay, no blushing this time. She can't even see anything.  
  
Draco opened the door, the towel once again wrapped around his waist, his white blonde hair messy and clinging to his forehead. The water from the shower was still covering his toned, muscular arms and his abdominals, which, by the way, were very nice also. Even Hermione had to admit she stopped breathing for a second. Draco smirked at Hermione and snatched his clothes from her hands, and slammed the door in her face.  
  
Prick! I thought.well.I don't know what I thought, but I was a fool to even think it.  
  
"I hate you!" Hermione said harshly through the door  
  
"Likewise, Mudblood." Draco said plainly.  
  
Hermione decided to leave the hotel room and try and find her way back to her parents. She glanced around the room; just to be sure nothing belonged to her. She opened the door and walked out into the corridor in search of the elevator. She did not get very far before she realised she didn't have any shoes on. I can be so stupid sometimes! She turned and made her way back to the hotel room, the door was locked shut behind her.  
  
"Malfoy!" Hermione was pounding on the door. "Open up!"  
  
Draco opened the door and leaned on the frame, looking very smug, "miss me?" he said.  
  
"Get real! More like I missed my shoes." Hermione stalked in and searched the room for her shoes, "where are they?"  
  
Draco pointed towards the closet, "In there, I guess I'll leave you to it." Draco watched Hermione walk past him to the closet, he had not taken two steps towards the bathroom, when he rushed to Hermione and pushed her in the closet, "Stay here and shut up!"  
  
~~~***~~~  
  
It was dark in the closet, but Hermione had barely enough time to think about this or anything else before she heard a familiar 'pop,' a sound only heard on the arrival of a witch or wizard apparating somewhere. Hermione was silent, straining to hear something, anything that would tell her who had just arrived and why.  
  
"Father, this visit was unexpected, I was not aware you knew of my whereabouts." Draco's voice was solemn.  
  
"Yes," the voice, which undoubtedly his father's was cold and uncaring, "I'm sure you never planned for me to find you, did you?"  
  
Draco was silent.  
  
"Answer me, boy!" His voice was not raised, though it would have been less chilling if it was.  
  
"Yes, father."  
  
"You can't fight this, Draco, you know why you are in Venice, I was under the impression you wanted this. Why, then, are you fighting this? It's inevitable and you know it." Lucius' voice was calm, but still chilling.  
  
"I don't wish to serve him. I don't want to be like you. I hate you!" Draco hissed venomously.  
  
Lucius smirked, "stupid boy." Hermione will forever remember the words that came next, "Crucio"  
  
Draco doubled up and collapsed on the floor, Hermione had never heard anyone scream like Draco did. His shrill, banshee like cries, pierced her ears, it travelled through her veins and all she could do was press the palm of her hands tightly over her ears and hope it would over soon.  
  
"The Dark Lord will not be pleased with you, think about that Draco and I'll be back next week, perhaps he will join me. Don't try and run, I will always know where you are."  
  
With a final smirk and a 'pop' he was gone. Hermione scrambled out of the cupboard, she crawled over to Draco who was still collapsed on the floor and breathing heavily. She sat close to him, she barely touched his back with hand when he sat up and glared at her with pure hatred.  
  
"I don't want your sympathy, Mudblood," he snarled at her and curled up again.  
  
She was strangely hurt by his words. She got up again and walked over to the kettle, preparing to make them both a strong coffee. By the time she was done, Draco was sitting at the small table watching her, she walked over to him and handed him the steaming mug.  
  
"What is this?" He looked at her; in his eyes she could see hurt and shame. Why shame? What is he ashamed of?  
  
"Coffee, it's good for you. It'll make you feel better." She smiled at him.  
  
"I wished you didn't have to see that, I- my father, he-" He seemed so confused. "Get out," there was no readable expression in his eyes.  
  
"I would, but I'm not leaving you." Hermione's voice was firm, "you're weak from the-" she stopped, she didn't want to continue, she couldn't bring herself to say the words.  
  
"Cruciatus curse," Draco finished for her, "don't pity me, Granger, my father's a bastard and I couldn't wait to be like him. Now, I can't get away. I'm never going back to that place, Malfoy Manor. This is my final year at Hogwarts, I'll line up a job for myself at the ministry, get my own place and mother and I will leave that bastard, just us." There was something in his eyes that Hermione had never seen before; hope. Hope for a better future without his father.  
  
After a brief silence, Draco asked, "This stuff is good, got any more?"  
  
"Yeah, I'll make you some, then, can I have a shower?" Draco looked at her, obviously not expecting that.  
  
"Um." Draco paused, unsure, "yeah, there are some extra towels in the cupboard."  
  
"Well, if you don't want me to, just say. But I don't see why not I mean it's only a shower." Hermione was annoyed and Draco's hesitation in saying yes.  
  
"No, no it's not that, just, well, I wasn't expecting you to stick around, that's all." He sounded sincere enough.  
  
"Okay, I'll be out in 5 minutes," she bounced over to the cupboard with unknown energy. Draco was completely drained, but that was most probably from the Cruciatus curse. Hermione seemed to possess all the energy he had lost, even after last night, everything she went though, she was really surprising sometimes.  
  
The sound of the water from the shower was soothing, and in a weird way, lulled Draco to sleep. Smack, Draco didn't even feel the branch whip his face, or the rocks and small shrubs he almost tripped on. Run, just run. Run away; leave his father in his own mess. Stuff him, he did this to himself. Ah, Lord Voldemort! And- a girl, someone with him, nothing but a child. A cold voice, "Think about this Draco, your own daughter. How will you tell that mudblood bitch of yours?" Mudblood bitch? MY daughter? What? "Say goodbye to Daddy, Liadan" The girl was not even 7 years old, but she knew what was going on, "Daddy, help." Draco was unarmed, he just dived at Voldemort, "Noooo"  
  
"Malfoy" Hermione was shaking him, "Malfoy, wake up! Stop shouting, you'll wake up the whole hotel!"  
  
Draco looked around, it was still daylight and Hermione was clutching him by the shoulders, her face was full of concern.  
  
"What are you still doing here?" Draco scowled, pushing her away from him.  
  
"Well, where shall I start," Hermione was sick of Draco and his unthoughtful comments. "Last night, I was almost raped and murdered, only to be saved you. I've never been in Venice before, besides the fact I don't know where I am, I don't where my parents hotel is. Now, where else do you propose I go?"  
  
"Why are you so logical?" He turned over, so he wouldn't have to face her. "What's the time?"  
  
"Half past 12" Hermione said checking her watch.  
  
"Want some lunch?" Draco asked turning to face her again.  
  
"Yeah, I suppose. What do you want? I'll get it." Hermione sighed and stood up to get her purse.  
  
"I don't think so, miss I-know-everything, I'll get it. You stay here." Draco got up and grabbed his shoes.  
  
"Well, I'm coming too." Hermione grabbed her shoes as well.  
  
Draco walked over to her and snatched her shoes from her hands, "I don't think so," he said as he threw her shoes back in the corner.  
  
Hermione walked over to the corner put her shoes on, grabbed her purse and stalked out of the room. Draco was silent the whole time, he followed her to the sandwich bar across the street from his hotel, they ordered and sat waiting for them to be made.  
  
"Why haven't you gone yet?" Draco asked, this time he sounded sincere, however, Hermione took it the wrong way.  
  
"I told you before, Malfoy," her tone was harsh.  
  
"Don't get so fired up, I know what happened last night, but its broad daylight, you wouldn't be in any danger and it's not as if you couldn't ask anyone else for directions back to your hotel. Hermione, you and I both know that if you really wanted to leave, you could," he paused, "So, why stay?"  
  
Hermione hesitated, thinking about this, "I-I don't know. I guess you just- I don't want to got back and face them. I left in a bit of a huff, my pride is getting the better of me and I can't go back." Hermione looked at the floor feeling silly. The sandwiches came and the first few bites were taken silently.  
  
"Well you can always stay with me," he said finally, grinning at her, "Potter would love that, wouldn't he? Either that or go back and lose your self respect. I know what I would choose."  
  
Hermione rolled her eyes, "has my life come to this? You or my parents?" Her tone was not harsh, but light and full of laughter. She giggled.  
  
Draco grinned, "well, there are always those two guys we met last night, I'm sure they wouldn't mind having you for a while."  
  
Hermione paled at the thought of what had happened, and her airy tone disintegrated immediately, "Not - funny - Malfoy" she whispered, her voice was tight and threatening.  
  
Draco raised his hands defensively, "hey, only joking!"  
  
Hermione finished her sandwich and stood to throw her sandwich wrapper in a nearby rubbish bin, "wanna get out of here?" she said casually.  
  
"I'm not sure if that's a good idea, Granger," Draco hesitated.  
  
"What not good for your image," Hermione joked, sitting next to him, she suddenly became serious, "take me back to England, Malfoy, I hate it here."  
  
"What?" Draco was stunned, what ever he was expecting it wasn't this, "I can't, Granger, you heard my father, he's coming back and I have to be here when he does."  
  
"Why?" Hermione looked at him, "What does he want from you?"  
  
"I promised my mother that I would never serve Lord Voldemort, unless-" he stopped, deciding if he should tell Hermione this, "but I won't serve him, no matter what, because of her," he added.  
  
"Your father," Hermione's voice was soft and gentle, knowing she was touching a very sensitive subject, "he wants to make you a death eater?"  
  
"That's why I'm here, for my initiation." Draco put his wrapper in the bin, "I'm done," he said.  
  
"We can run away, together, let's go back to England, he'll never find us" Hermione looked in his eyes, she was so sure, "you can keep your mum's promise and I can go back to the burrow, come on," she said grabbing the sleeve of his shirt.  
  
"I can't" His tone wasn't harsh, but hurt. "You don't understand, you'll never understand."  
  
How can she know? How can I tell her about me? She'd never ask me- trust me to take her back to England, if she knew. How can she stare at me and make me tell? Why can't I fight her? I hate her.  
  
~~~***~~~  
  
After Draco had left, she asked the sandwich bar attendant for directions to her parents' hotel. She was sure she'd scared Draco, been too enthusiastic, and been too desperate. Too desperate to get away from her parents. Too desperate to get back to Harry and Ron. When Hermione when back to Draco's room to collect the rest of her things, she didn't tell Draco, where she was going, she just bid him goodbye and thanked him for his help. He didn't try to stop her either.  
  
~~~***~~~  
  
Hermione stopped at the hotel door marked number '431,' she looked at the handle and willed herself to open the door. She didn't know what to do, what if they just had another fight and she walked out? What if they disowned her? She longed to have Harry or Ron next to her, to hold her hand or give her a hug, to reassure her and tell her to open the bloody door before they did it themselves!  
  
"Please, open the door." Hermione was talking to the imaginary Ron next to her, "I don't think that I can."  
  
Oh, this is stupid! She was cross at herself for being afraid, afraid of her parents! Her! Hermione Granger! She had been petrified by a basilisk, had faced what she thought was a horrible murdering death eater (which turn out to be Harry's godfather), she had also been face to face with a hungry werewolf AND she had been held captive at the bottom of the lake at Hogwarts for goodness knows how long, all before her 15th birthday and was never as scared then as she was right now! But, now that she thought about it, Hermione had always had complete faith that Harry and Ron would save her, but now she was on her own and she would much rather be with Harry and Ron facing Voldemort right now than on her own facing her parents. It is truly sad when a child would rather be staring down the jaws of death with her two best friends than with her parents. Just do it! Stop being silly!  
  
Hermione grabbed the door handle and held it, it felt like at least a minute but in reality it was probably only a few seconds. She only let go when she heard footsteps walking in her direction, Hermione dashed around the corner. She listened, the footsteps stopped, she poked head around the corner, just enough to see and be unnoticed at the same time. There was someone very familiar standing at the door marked number 431, Hermione's hotel room.  
  
Draco! What is he doing here?  
  
Hermione came out from her hiding place and walked over to Draco, but he was concentrating on something and, therefore, didn't notice her, if it wasn't for his constant composure, when she tapped him on the shoulder, he would have jumped in fright. Instead he turned in a graceful Malfoy way looked her up and down.  
  
"Granger," he acknowledged her presence with a slight nod and turned back for the elevator.  
  
I knew you couldn't do it, weakling. It seemed as if his conscience was mocking him, she'll never respect you, she'll never even fear you. Draco kept his breathing steady and continued to walk.  
  
"Malfoy, what are you doing?" Hermione was confused, but there was a hint of amusement in her voice as she said this.  
  
He stopped and turned to face her again. "I'm going back to my hotel," Draco said this as if it was the most obvious thing in the world and that standing in front of her door without any reason for being there, was not at all unusual in any way.  
  
"What are you doing here?" Hermione asked again.  
  
"Look, Granger, I won't ask you what you were going around the corner, if you don't ask me what I'm doing here, because the truth is I don't know." Draco was very serious.  
  
"Well, I have no problem telling you why I was around the corner." She told him smugly, "do you want to know?" she smiled at him.  
  
"Yes," he said, smirking back.  
  
She looked at her feet, "I couldn't do it, I couldn't go in there." She smiled at him again, "now you have to tell me why you're here."  
  
"No, I don't." He smirked, "I didn't ask you, you asked me."  
  
Hermione thought about this and realised he was right, she huffed and frowned at him. Before Hermione could stop him, Draco moved towards the door and knocked loudly three times, and with that, he turned for the elevator and left Hermione standing bewildered in the corridor. Hermione spun around to see her red, puffy-eyed mother and fatigued father coming out of the room, number 431. 


	4. Dinner with Draco

Okay here it is chapter four and I need you help so don't for get to review.  
  
Chapter 4 - Dinner with Draco  
  
The meeting with her parents was uncomfortable for Hermione, but her parents were just relieved she was back. There was no yelling or grounding, there was a lot of tears from her mother and lots of questions, questions Hermione didn't want to answer. She told them about Draco, but she couldn't tell them about those men, she didn't know how. All she said was that she had a 'friend' in Venice and stayed the night and morning with him. Her parents seemed content with that and neither of them took it further.  
  
Hermione didn't go back to Draco's hotel, she never saw him again for at least another week. She spent the week around Venice with her parents, they asked to see this 'friend' of hers, but Hermione never obliged. She was always thinking about him, though, why had he come to see her? It was an edgy week between her an her parents. Hermione found Flinders Cabin and sent Harry and Ron an owl. They were both at Sirius and Harry's place in Godric's Hollow. Peter Pettigrew had been caught and was in Azkaban, all charges on Sirius had been dropped and he never got in trouble for being an unregistered animagi either, the ministry thought he'd been through enough. Sirius was working to become an Auror and doing very well. Hermione found Hedwig on her window sill waiting for her to get out of the shower.  
  
"Hi, Hedwig. Do you have Harry's reply?"  
  
Hedwig ruffled his feathers to show his annoyance at have to wait for her and stuck out his foot with a letter attached to it. Hermione untied it and went to fetch some water for Hedwig. Once Hedwig was happy, she read the letter, which was written in Ron's unmistakable, messy handwriting.  
  
Hi 'Mione, Hows Venice? Doesn't sound so great to me, not with Malfoy hanging around anyway. I know you said he saved your life or something but he has a lot to make up for, this is just the beginning! On to better news, Lupin is here he is just as cool as ever and we are having the best time, Harry and I have asked Sirius and Lupin to help us to become animagi, you should think about doing it too. Wouldn't it be cool!!! Harry's decided on a stag, coz of his dad, but I'm still thinking. What do you reckon? Anyway Harry's calling me outside, he's trying to teach Sirius how to fly again (on brooms) and its so funny, yesterday he was stuck up in a tree for hours. Gotta go  
  
From Ron  
  
Me Too!!!  
  
Harry's handwriting was beneath Ron's all he wrote was Me too!!! Like he couldn't believe Ron never signed his name as well. Hermione smiled and sat down to write a reply.  
  
Dear Ron, Harry, Sirius and Professor Lupin.  
  
Believe it or not, Venice is getting better. I haven't seen Malfoy in a week and I wouldn't have minded if I saw him yesterday. (he's not that bad!)  
  
Hermione stopped and read over the letter, 'not that bad', I don't think Ron would appreciate that much. She crumpled up her piece of paper and threw it in the trash. She took another piece and started again.  
  
Dear Ron, Harry, Sirius and Lupin.  
  
Venice is getting better. Mum and dad are cool about everything and the city is really beautiful. Even so, I can't wait to come home and I really wish I was there with you guys. Sirius riding a broom, that'd be a laugh and a half (no offence Sirius) Flinders Cabin is so cool, its like a shopping centre (Harry you explain it to them) there's an owlery, a public library (my personal favourite), a really cool Quidditch store (which is really saying something since Quidditch is your thing) and joke shops, sweet shops, pets shops, restaurants and heaps more. But my parents prefer the muggle stores, so we usually stick to them. Hedwig's getting impatient and threatening to leave without this letter so I better leave it here. Love you heaps. Hermione. XXXOOO  
  
Hermione looked over the letter and was satisfied. She tied it to Hedwig and the owl flew out the window without acknowledging her. She suspected Hedwig didn't like her very much.  
  
The door opened with a creak and Hermione's father came in smiling. "Do you want to go out for dinner tonight, honey?" he said.  
  
"Um," Hermione thought, "Yeah, I'd like that." She said, smiling back at him.  
  
"We could invite that friend of yours, we haven't met him yet." He said, Hermione's parents had been asking about Draco all week and she was beginning to wish she never mentioned him to them.  
  
"I don't think so, dad, he's busy." Hermione lied, she was running out of reasons why he was busy. Though, the last few days she'd been wondering about Draco, his father was due to see him this week and she was beginning to worry. Maybe she should invite him. After a minute of thought, she added, "But, I can ask him anyway."  
  
Hermione's father's face glowed at these six simple words, "fabulous! We'll ring him."  
  
"No, dad. I'll go around there, he doesn't have much experience with telephones."  
  
"Oh, right," he tapped the side of his nose, knowledgably, "I always forget about your friends."  
  
Hermione smiled and strolled out of the room, "I'll be back in a half an hour, with or without him, ok?" she called back to her father, whom she knew was planning to accompany her. She thought it would be better to go without him.  
  
"Ah, Hermione," he started, but she was already gone.  
  
~~~***~~~  
  
Knock. Knock. Knock.  
  
Draco looked at the door. "I don't need anything!" he called, rather rudely through the door, thinking the person outside was a muggle house cleaner.  
  
"Not even dinner?" The voice that called back was familiar and very unexpected. He opened the door to an amused, smug looking Hermione.  
  
"Granger," he said, calmly.  
  
"Mum and dad have been bugging me about my 'friend,' that I spend Wednesday night with, that's you," she said, as if he didn't know, "and I finally agreed to ask you to dinner, so they'll leave me alone. So, what do you say?" She smiled.  
  
"Dinner with muggles?" he said looking a tinge repulsed, "I dunno, Hermione. I don't like them very much."  
  
Hermione smirked, "it'll stir your father up."  
  
"Okay," Draco smirked back at her. "But no friendly, buddy-buddy stuff at Hogwarts, right?"  
  
Hermione was stung but she didn't show it, "wouldn't dream of it" she said quietly.  
  
They walked silently down the corridor, Hermione stepped into the elevator first. "Malfoy, has-" she stopped, two middle-aged muggles had stepped into the elevator with them, the ride down was silent.  
  
"What were you going to say, back in the elevator?" Draco asked once they were in the street.  
  
"Oh, just, has your father come back, yet?" she looked at her feet, as if she knew she shouldn't ask him.  
  
"Nah, he's making me sweat a bit, always does." Draco replied, "Thing is, I don't think about it anymore, they'll knock me around a bit, but they won't kill me until the last minute and I still refuse. I don't worry about it, I've learned to block out the pain."  
  
Hermione was silent.  
  
"Let's not talk about it. So, what did Potter say when you told him about me? I assume you told him?" Draco smirked, successfully changing the subject.  
  
"Harry didn't write back, Ron did. He wasn't happy, he reckons you're indebted to us anyway, said that you're just beginning to pay us back, by saving my butt." Hermione smiled.  
  
"Uh huh, Weasel's got another thing coming then." He smirked at the thought, "where's dinner going to be then?"  
  
"Dunno, I'll take you back to the hotel and we'll all go from there."  
  
"Mmm," Draco sighed.  
  
Dinner was at a nice Italian restaurant down the street. Mrs Granger and Hermione sat first, then Draco and Mr Granger. Despite his hatred for all at the table, Draco was very polite and pleased Hermione's parents very much, well, her mother anyway. He pulled Hermione's chair out for her and she sat. He wouldn't allow Hermione to pour her own water and he wouldn't eat until Hermione and Mrs Granger had taken their first bite.  
  
Draco scanned the menu and chose what he wanted, "are we ready to order?" he asked, glancing around the table.  
  
"Mum? Dad?" Hermione looked to her parents and they nodded. "Then, I guess we are."  
  
"What are you having?" Draco asked Hermione.  
  
"Um, the cabonara with fettuccine,"  
  
Draco nodded, "any drinks?"  
  
"Just a lemonade." She replied.  
  
Draco raised his hand in the air, "waiter" he called, and a waiter came immediately. "We are ready to order." He watched as the waiter took out a pad and a pen, "The lady," he said, gesturing towards Hermione, "will have the Fettuccine Carbonara and a lemonade." He waited for the waiter to finish writing before continuing, "I will have a coke and a spaghetti bolognaise." Draco looked to Mr Granger and he ordered, Mrs Granger had to order for herself.  
  
He waited politely as Hermione fiddled with her napkin, eventually Draco graciously took it from her and fixed it himself. They ate in silence, each enjoying their meals.  
  
When Hermione was done, she stood and Draco immediately stood too. "Draco, what are you standing for?"  
  
"It's polite," he said simply.  
  
"Hmm, excuse me, I need to use the bathroom." Hermione said and glanced, very puzzled, at Draco. Draco stood until Hermione was out of sight, then sat down to finish his meal.  
  
"You were brought up well, Draco, very polite, old fashioned, Hmm?" Mr Granger, tried to make conversation.  
  
"My mother and father are very strict," Draco said, there was no expression on his face.  
  
"You know Hermione from school?" Mrs Granger asked politely.  
  
"Yes, ma'am, Hermione is in some of my classes," Draco smiled, "Though, we are in different houses and differ in our opinions of Quidditch and such. Hermione is my only academic competition there, we are constantly trying to surpass each other in tests and assignments."  
  
"And who wins?" Mr Granger smiled.  
  
A stern glance from Mrs Granger and a sharp kick under the table retracted this question and Draco didn't have to answer. Hermione returned and smiled at Draco as he stood once again, to pull her seat out allowing her to sit.  
  
"Shall we order dessert?" Hermione asked.  
  
"Yes, okay, love." Mr Granger, glanced over his shoulder to find the Dessert stand. They all stood, Draco pulled Hermione chair out again and they headed for the dessert stand. They all chose and Draco was left to order for them.  
  
"He's lovely, honey." Mrs Granger said to Hermione while they were alone.  
  
"I don't like him, he's too- polite!" Mr Granger grumbled.  
  
"How is that bad, daddy?" Hermione asked sweetly.  
  
"Ulterior motives." He said plainly. Hermione didn't ask what ulterior motives he was talking about, she wasn't sure she wanted to know.  
  
"Oh, don't listen to him, he just doesn't want to share you with another man." Mrs Granger waved her hand at Mr Granger as she said this.  
  
"But what about Harry and Ron, dad, doesn't have a problem with them. What so different about Draco?" Hermione has some idea what her father and mother thought and she was going to correct them.  
  
"He's your boyfriend, isn't he!" Mrs Granger said, this was statement not a question.  
  
"No, mum, he's not!" Hermione sounded horrified.  
  
"Well, he wants to be," Mrs Granger smiled, "I can tell!"  
  
Mr Granger just growled.  
  
Draco had returned by this time and it was discussed no further. The rest of the idle dinner chatter was just about Draco's family, most of what Draco said were lies and Hermione knew this. The Malfoy family situation was not very pleasant, so Draco made it sound all happy and lovey-dovey.  
  
After dinner, they all walked back to the hotel. Hermione and Draco hung back, letting Hermione's parents walk about twenty metres ahead of them.  
  
"So, did you have fun?" Hermione asked him.  
  
"Yeah, kinda, in a weird way." Draco smirked.  
  
"Mum likes you," Hermione smiled, "Dad thinks you have ulterior motives."  
  
"Yeah, maybe I do." Draco's expression didn't change.  
  
"Huh?" Hermione stared at him, dumbfounded.  
  
"Stop," Draco said, pulling her back. He turned to face her, the street was almost empty and her parents were far enough away. Draco gently stroked her cheek with the back for his hand, he moved his hand back, tracing her hairline and cupping her head, just above her neck. She moved willingly as he pulled her close. Their lips gently touched and they looked into each others eyes before sharing their first tender kiss. Hermione let herself fall into him, she melted under his touch and she didn't mind one bit. His lips were warm and moist, she lightly touched his elbow. She gently caressed his arm, moving her hand from his elbow to his shoulder and back down again. She gripped his upper arm, for a second, as he deepened the kiss, but quickly wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him closer. Draco suddenly pulled away, causing Hermione to lose her balance and fall into him, but he caught her easily.  
  
"Hmph!" Mr Granger growled, "excuse me, I don't mean to interrupt, but get your hands of my daughter!"  
  
"Honey!" This was Mrs Granger coming to the rescue, "come on, leave them alone."  
  
"Over my dead body! I told you he had ulterior motives, didn't I tell you?" he roared, attracting the attention of passer bys.  
  
By this time Hermione had stepped in front of Draco and was telling her father to stop over reacting.  
  
"You're making a scene, Dad!" Hermione pleaded. Mrs Granger pulled Mr Granger away, still growling, and they continued walking.  
  
"Sorry," Hermione said turning to Draco again.  
  
"No, I'm sorry," Draco took a step back. "I'll see you later, okay?"  
  
"Wait," Hermione pleaded, Draco didn't wait, he crossed the street, without looking back.  
  
End chapter four  
  
Okay, ladies and gentlemen, now I need your advice, I am at a cross road in the story (I'm currently writing chapter 7, but you aint getting it for a while) um, I can bring Harry and Ron into the story or I can leave it as just Hermione and Draco, you're call because neither of us know what to do. Help! Review, okay.  
  
Thanks, Love ya, Bug-a-lugs 


	5. The late night note

Here it is! Oh and I think congrats are in order coz I got House Vice Captain, yay! Read review, be happy! And I have some bad news but read the story first k!  
  
Chapter 5  
  
It was raining outside and Hermione listened to the 'pit pat' on the window. She couldn't sleep all night, her thoughts were focused on Draco and what could have happened if her father hadn't interrupted. Her mind drifted, she thought of Draco's kiss and how she didn't mind, in fact, she was terribly disappointed when he pulled away. She hoped Draco had enjoyed it as much as she had. She turned and looked at the clock, 2:41 am. Hermione sighed and turned back over.  
  
Tap. Tap. Tap.  
  
Hermione sat up, what is that?  
  
Tap. Tap. Tap.  
  
It was coming from the window. She got up to see what it was. Before Hermione could reach the window, everything was upside down and back the front and inside out. Woah, what the-? She picked up the lumpy object she tripped on, she had no idea what it was, so she threw it on the ground again, this time out of the way. She carefully made her way to the window, sitting on the window sill was a scruffy little tawny owl. Hermione opened the window careful not to wake her parents and the little owl flew to her shoulder, it was soaking wet, but it didn't seem to mind. She carried it to the bathroom and towel dried the little owl, so it didn't catch a cold. There was a small note attached to its tiny foot, she untied it and the owl sat quietly watching her open the note.  
  
I can't sleep wanna go for a walk. Draco.  
  
"In this? Oh well, a little rain never hurt anyone." Hermione said, quietly to the owl. She smiled, as she read it over and over. Miraculously, Hermione found a quill in the dark without breaking anything or waking her parents. She decided it was best if she didn't try to find a spare bit of parchment in the dark as well, so she simply flipped over Draco's note and wrote, yes, I can't sleep either. I'll be waiting in the lobby. Hermione. She tied the note to the owl and let it out the window, she grabbed a muggle pen and paper and wrote a note to her parents and left it on the table. She pulled on her jeans and one of her favourite sleeveless tops, it was white with a glittering Union Jack on the front. She found her jacket and slowly made her way down to the lobby, where Draco was already waiting for her. She smiled when she saw him and she walked over to him.  
  
He was quite a good dresser for most wizards in muggle clothes. He was damp from the rain, but it kind of added to his look. He was wearing army green cargo pants that were two sizes too big and if it weren't for his belt, well, lets just leave it to your imagination, shall we? His hair was messy, but in a very sexy way. And he looked as though he was wearing two shirts, a long sleeved one with a short sleeve over the top, he looked very delicious.  
  
Draco's warm hand slipped into Hermione's and he leaned into her and whispered, "I want to show you something."  
  
Hermione nodded and let him lead her to a deserted park with a single street lamp to illuminate the solitary swing and park bench. The rain had let up a bit and the shadows of the few trees which lived in the park crept along the path under the light, grabbing at Hermione's feet. She held Draco's hand tighter and moved closer to him, feeling his warmth flow through her veins, warming her whole body and making her heart flutter.  
  
"This is the first place I can remember having fun as a kid." Draco whispered softly, as if he might break something so special if he said it louder.  
  
Hermione didn't know what to say so she pulled him closer and hugged him for a few seconds, "Did your mother bring you here?" she asked quietly.  
  
"Yeah," He smiled, a genuine smile, "she looked so beautiful that day," Draco pulled Hermione to the base of a tall tree, "she sat here and watched me." Draco ran his hand up and down the trunk of the tree.  
  
He turned Hermione so she faced him, "Thank you, for everything. I've never had a friend before. Even though its only been for a couple of days, it means a lot. And, no, Crabbe and Goyle weren't my friends. They were just.tag alongs."  
  
"Draco," Hermione whispered.  
  
"Shh, don't speak." He was looking into her eyes, "don't make this harder that it already is."  
  
"But, I don't understand" she said, confused. "What is going on, Draco?"  
  
"Never mind now." He squeezed her hand, "Do you want a swing?"  
  
Hermione nodded, she walked over to the wet swing and sat down. Draco pushed her for about a half an hour, they talked of their childhood. Draco told her everything he'd been dying to tell someone for so long, with a few exceptions. He told her how his father treated him and how, for his birthday, he'd have the 'honour' of being 'taught,' as his father called it, by the Dark Lord himself. But, as he told Hermione, it was just a good old fashioned slogging. He took off his shirt and let Hermione see his battle scars, long lashings and small cigarette-like burns, and some even looked like pictures, one Hermione recognised as the Dark Mark. It was just drizzling, though it threatened to rain harder.  
  
"My great grandmother," he said, as he pulled a box out of his jacket, and showed her a gold, antique locket, with a name carved into the back, Victoria, "she wore this on her wedding day, she gave it to my grandmother and she wore it on her wedding day, and the same with my mother, since my mother never had any daughters, she gave it to me, to give to my wife to wear on our wedding day. But-" he hesitated.  
  
"Draco?" Hermione whispered, as she fought back tears. She had a fair idea of what this was about.  
  
"But, I don't think I'll be having a wedding. To tell you the truth, Hermione, my father shall be coming for me today, everything for my initiation is ready and I must go." He looked at the ground, "I will refuse, of course, and they will-"  
  
Hermione could see tears in his eyes, it was raining again, but it didn't disguise them, "What are you telling me, Draco?" she said, not wanting to believe this, tears flowed freely down her face.  
  
"I'm telling you that I have only a few days to live, I can fight them, Hermione." Tears were now streaming down his pale cheeks. "And, I'm asking you to take this, take it and wear it on your wedding day if you like, you don't have to. Just make sure you look after yourself, okay. Don't to forget me.  
  
Hermione grabbed his hand and lead him though to the street, "we're going back to England, to Hogwarts. Dumbledore will help you."  
  
"No, Hermione, he can't help me." Draco pulled his hand away and held out the necklace. "Now, take it!"  
  
"Why? Why can't he help you? He's protected Harry for almost 16 years, what so different with you?" Hermione was furious.  
  
"To start with I'm not wonder boy!" Draco said, harshly. The last thing he wanted to hear was Harry's name. "And Potter is the man, he is the one who will eventually take the Dark Lord down. I'm nothing to Dumbledore!"  
  
"Oh that's crap, Draco, and you know it." Hermione began to plead again, "Come on, say you'll come with me."  
  
"No, Hermione." He said, firmly, ending the conversation. "Come on," he said, more softly, "your parents will think you've taken off again." He hugged her and took her hand, leading her back through the streets. It was raining hard and both of them were soaked to the bone. But both were too depressed to think of the cold or do anything about it. The walk back was silent, probably because they both didn't know what to say to each other. But also because Hermione was concentrating hard on not letting Draco know she was crying, and Draco was trying not to let her know he knew she was crying.  
  
"Do you want to die or something?" Hermione's question was unexpected, in the least, and he didn't know what to say.  
  
Did he want to die? He certainly wasn't doing anything to prevent it. But he couldn't very well say yes, could he? Hermione wouldn't take it very well if he did, in fact, he was pretty sure she would flip out. But if he did say no, then he was lining him self up for a long 'then why don't we go to Dumbledore, the muggle-loving, saviour of everything' lecture. It was a no win situation. So, he decided it best to not say anything at all. There was 10 second silence.  
  
"Draco? Do you?" Hermione demanded, once she knew he wasn't intending to answer her. She had stopped walking, by this time, and it was clear she wasn't moving until she got some answers. Draco wasn't sure if she was confused, worried or furious. What ever it was it wasn't going to be pretty.  
  
"Well.I don't know." He replied truthfully.  
  
"What?" She said in disbelief. The rain didn't disguise the single tear fell down her left cheek, "No, Draco?"  
  
"Think about it, Hermione." Draco was angry, he didn't know why, just looking at her made him angry. "What do I have to live for? My mother? She's as good as dead anyway, living with my father. He'll kill her. Its not as if I'm going to be there, I'd be at Hogwarts when he'd do it, you see if I'm not. No witnesses, you know? My whole life revolved around tormenting others. Around impressing the Slytherin's and I hate every single one of them." He paused, waiting for her to respond, she didn't. "What do I have to live for?"  
  
"Me, if nothing else." Her voice was soft. "Your future. You're not evil, Draco. Help other people, help us fight him. You can save your mother, you can, I know you can." She was so sure of herself, sure of him too.  
  
Both of them, didn't move. She looked at him intently, he glanced across the road, looking at anything, anything but her. Draco dragged his hand through his wet hair. It only took him a few seconds to give in. I'm going to regret this, aren't I?  
  
"When do you want to leave?" Draco said, a smile playing on his lips.  
  
"Draco!" Hermione squealed. He grinned broadly when he saw Hermione smile and cover her mouth with her hand, before she squealed again and leaped at him.  
  
"And how do we get there? What if Dumbledore isn't there? He could have a holiday house somewhere in Southeast China for all we know." Draco said, though he was still grinning.  
  
Hermione pulled off him and looked him in the eyes, "I don't care! I don't care!" She laughed, and leaped at him again, giggling childishly.  
  
"Hermione! That's enough." Draco said, amused. He pulled away from her. "Come on, I've got to take you home."  
  
"No, Draco. I have to take you home. To England." She giggled and ran ahead of him, jumping in the puddles. "Come on, Draco!" She called back to him, the rain .  
  
"I don't run, Granger! Have you ever seen me run?" He yelled back to her, the question was supposed to be rhetorical, but Hermione, who had run back to him, giggled and nodded her head.  
  
"When?" Draco asked, confused. She smiled mischievously and Draco knew exactly when she'd seen him run.  
  
"First year. In the forest. You ran like there was no tomorrow." She laughed.  
  
"That was the Dark Lord, Hermione. What did you want me to do? Stick around like Potter?" He grinned back.  
  
"You ran for me last week. Run with me now, Draco." She smiled and squeezed his hand.  
  
"Where almost back." Draco said, continuing to walk. Though, Hermione sudden urge to run was strangely turning him on. Geez, Malfoy. Get a grip.  
  
"Draco!" Hermione shouted standing in front the glass double doors, that lead through to the lobby of her hotel. She ran back to him. "I'll race you to that street light and back to my hotel."  
  
Draco raised him eyebrow, suggestively. "And what do I get if I win?"  
  
"Get real. As if you'd win."  
  
"What do I get? Tell me or I won't do it."  
  
Hermione smiled, "What do you want?"  
  
"A kiss." Draco said, simply.  
  
"A kiss? From who?" Hermione couldn't help but smile.  
  
"The loser." He smirked.  
  
"Okay." Hermione smiled. "And if I win?"  
  
"The same naturally." Draco smiled.  
  
Hermione laughed, "No way! I'm not that stupid! I want you-" Hermione paused.  
  
"Hermione, I never knew you felt that way." Draco grinned.  
  
"Prat! I wasn't done. I was thinking of what I should make you do."  
  
"Yeah, sure." He said, sarcastically. Hermione glared at him.  
  
"Just for that, Draco Malfoy, I'm leaving it open. I'll decide what I want when I want it." Hermione smiled before she shouted "GO!" and she ran as fast as she could to the street lamp and back to the hotel doors, all the while hearing Draco's footsteps behind her. "Huh!" she said, triumphantly. Breathing slightly heavier than before.  
  
Draco, who had has his right hand up against the brick wall and was breathing much heavier than before, said "Damn, girl!" He looked up at her, only for a second, before looking back to his shoes.  
  
"Come on, you're staying with me tonight. We can't have you taken before we even get to London, now can we?" She smiled. Draco never objected, why would he? He just silently followed her to the elevator, fully aware of her hand clasped around his own.  
  
~~~***~~~  
  
Draco had woken to Mr Granger's loud, booming voice. He was ranting and raving about find Draco sleeping on the floor next to Hermione's bed, luckily Mrs Granger calmed him down long enough for Hermione to explain about the situation they were in. Both of Hermione's parents agreed to take them back to Hogwarts as soon as they were all ready to leave. Draco and Hermione, after a while arguing and reassuring her parents, made their way over to Draco's old hotel room, they were just going to grab his things and fix up the clerk before leaving for England. Hermione was to run up to his room and grab his suitcase and Draco would pay.  
  
"Back in a minute," she smiled sweetly at Draco before jumping into the elevator.  
  
Hermione walked down the corridor to Draco's door, she fumbled with the key and opened the door, only to find herself being pulled through the door by her hair.  
  
"Who might you be then?" said a frighteningly familiar voice.  
  
"What's the matter? Don't you remember me, Mr Malfoy?" Hermione said, sounding more courageous than she felt.  
  
Okay, my lovelies, so so so sorry this took so long, I have some bad bad news and some bad news, the bad news is I haven't had time to finish chapter 7 yet (isn't that shocking!) and the bad bad news (for you not me) is that im going to bali in three days and im not going to get my holidays which I was depending on to write a hell of a lot of this story, but unfortunately for you..its not gonna happen unless my friend decides shes gonna write some too...tell her off in your reviews, in between praising our story of course! Hee hee Luv Bug-a-lugs XXXOOO 


	6. Pain in the most extreme

Chapter 6 - Pain in the most extreme  
  
"Who might you be then?" said a frighteningly familiar voice.  
  
"What's the matter? Don't you remember me, Mr Malfoy?" Hermione said, sounding more courageous than she felt.  
  
"No, should I remember you?" Lucius replied.  
  
"No, I don't suppose you should."  
  
"Where is my son? He's not planning to run anywhere is he?"  
  
"I think, perhaps, you should ask him yourself." Hermione suggested smugly.  
  
"I am asking you." Lucius growled. He still had hold of her hair, he pushed her face into the wall, banging it several times, before yanking her back, pulling her bloodied up face to his own. Lucius kissed her chin, then moved up to her broken nose and licked the blood from her face. Hermione showed no expression, he will gain no pleasure or satisfaction for this, she thought.  
  
"Where is my son, sweet heart?" he asked again.  
  
"He's dead." She lied. But she immediately knew she'd just contradicted herself. But maybe he won't notice, she thought.  
  
"Dead. Hmm, well, that's a shame isn't it. It makes it rather hard to ask him, doesn't it?" Damn, he did notice. Lucius tutted, though, he didn't seem like the tutting type of person, before adding, "Did he tell you about Pansy Parkinson?"  
  
Hermione screwed up her face like she could smell something like the muggle sewerage system. But she did not say a word.  
  
"I'll take that as a no, then, shall I?" Lucius smirked, he knew very well she was Potter's mudblood friend and he knew she had feelings for Draco, and him for her. He'd been watching his son closely this past week. "He is promised to her. They will wed next summer and you will be well and truly out of the picture. And if I have anything to say about it, then it will be by Draco's hand. I will not have you ruin the Malfoy name and poison our bloodline, Mudblood."  
  
"Draco Malfoy is dead. D. E. A. D. Dead." Hermione spoke as if he were a child of three and not someone with her life in their hands.  
  
"So you said. Don't look so worried, we won't kill you until after Draco is a Death Eater.  
  
"Well, can we get on with it?" Hermione asked, she wanted to get out of there before Draco came up find her and ended up doing something stupid.  
  
"Certainly." Lucius smiled. Lucius pull up a chair. "Have a seat."  
  
Hermione sat down. On second thought, maybe I do want Draco's help. This could hurt. Lucius flicked his wand and instantly ropes bound her ankles and hands to the chair, another flick and she was gagged.  
  
"Now, this isn't very private, is it?" Lucius looked around the room. "If only moving you weren't such a hassle. Lets see if there is something we can do about that." Lucius, though he didn't look it, was rather strong, he lifted the chair Hermione was bound to and placed it in the shower. "You say here."  
  
Where else would I go? she thought.  
  
"Oh and here's a little something to remember me by," Lucius said, as he pulled out a shiny butchers knife, "You know," he said, "I always thought the muggle ways of torture were much more fun."  
  
Lucius untied the ropes to right hand and turned her arm so her palm faced upwards, he winked at her as he aimed the knife. Hermione shut her eyes, but, unfortunately, that didn't stop the sting of the knife as it pierced her forearm or the throbbing pain that came afterwards. With a 'pop' Lucius was gone, leaving Hermione in the shower, watching her blood slowly swallowing her whole.  
  
~~~***~~~  
  
Downstairs in the lobby, Draco finished paying for the room when he suddenly felt a prickling sensation in the back of his neck. It travelled down his spine making him stop dead in his tracks and look up in horror. He knew the feeling all too well, Lucius was near by and there was only one place he would be. The room where Draco had been staying. The room that Hermione had gone to, to fetch his luggage.  
  
"Shit!" Draco bolted to the elevator and cursed again when he saw that the elevator was on floor 12. It would take too long to get back, he didn't have that long. To the left Draco saw a door marked "Stairs," Thank you, he whispered to no one in particular, before heading swiftly towards the door and flying up the stairs three at time, till he reached his floor. Upon reaching the door to Level 5, he turned the handle, only to find it locked. Ahh! He kicked the door hard and cursed silently as he felt a shooting pain in his foot, and hopped up and down on the other foot while holding onto the wounded one. "Ouch!" his yell echoed though the stairwell.  
  
Then he spun on his heel, limping as fast as he could up the next flight of stairs and to his horror found the door to the sixth floor locked also, without even thinking he ran up the next flight of stairs to the seventh floor and through the door, which was wide open waiting for him. He hopped to the elevator and with his good foot he pressed the button, he sighed when saw that the elevator was on floor 8. He leaned his forehead on the door in relief and stayed there, for a couple seconds, relishing the cold metal against his skin, when the doors slid open, he fell in and landed in a heap on the floor, while the doors closed behind him. After sprinting up the stairs from ground level to the seventh floor, he was rather tired.  
  
Draco heard, what he would call school-girl giggling, but it was a deep voice and this wasn't really a school-girl looking bloke standing in front of him. Draco discovered this when he snapped his head up and quickly got up off the floor, wincing as he accidentally put all his weight onto his injured foot. There was a young man, a bit older then Draco, leaning on the wall opposite him, staring at him cheerfully. He was wearing a bright orange beanie, a yellow T-shirt which appeared to be 5 sizes to big for him, and baggy jeans that if it weren't for the belt holding them up, they would be at his ankles.  
  
"You alright, man?" The stranger asked, once he had controlled his laughter.  
  
"Oh I'm just splendid!" Draco replied sarcastically.  
  
"Woah!" he said, putting his hands up defensively in front of his face, "Dude. no need to get so nasty."  
  
Draco watched as the young man's eyes flicked over to his hands, as this he began to giggle once again, he turned his hands around so he was now looking at his palms and giggled even more. Draco watched curiously as the stranger began to prod his left hand with his right index finger, he stopped giggling abruptly. The stranger looked from his right hand to his left a few times, then he looked up at Draco again, but this time with a look of shock, as if Draco had suddenly told him he was going to die.  
  
"What is your name?" The stranger asked Draco slowly.  
  
"Look, I'm in a hurry. I don't have time for twenty questions." Draco said, but at these words the elevator gave a jolt and Draco and the stranger were suspended in the elevator. "What?" Draco yelled, "No way!" The stranger giggled again and Draco lost his temper, "If you don't shut up," Draco yelled, "I will pull your oesophagus out your butt and if I can't then you'll be in a lot of pain while I try!"  
  
The stranger stopped giggling immediately, "I think you need some of this," the stranger said as he pulled out a small army like bottle full of alcohol. Draco gladly took some, in an attempt to relieve some of his stress.  
  
The elevator gave another jolt and sprang to life, moving them down to Level 5, where Hermione was. The doors slid open and Draco stared into the corridor.  
  
"Bye then," the stranger called to Draco as he sprang out of the elevator and sprinted towards his hotel room. The cold feeling of Lucius' presence was getting more and more unbearable with each step and he felt like he wasn't getting any closer.  
  
"Oh man. If he's laid one finger on her I'm going to kill him, his death will be so slow and so excruciatingly painful that he'll wish he'd never been born. Bastard!" He finally reached his room and just as his hand touched the door knob, the feeling that had by now filled his entire body, vanished and he stood dumbstruck, staring blankly at the door. What the.? Maybe he'd imagined it. maybe, Hermione was now waiting downstairs for him. maybe, Lucius was going to be back any minute and if Draco didn't hurry up, both he and Hermione were in for it.  
  
He burst into the room and stopped dead as he surveyed his surroundings. He was surprised to see that it actually looked relatively normal. Almost as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened. But then he looked at the wall next to the door and knew for a fact that Lucius had been there. The were smears of blood as well as a hole which looked like someone had had their face smashed into it- Shit!  
  
"Hermione! Where are you?" Lucius couldn't have taken her could he? No way, he'd need to have a reason to come back.  
  
Then he thought he'd heard his name. It sounded like someone was calling out to him, calling him for help. "Draco." It sounded so faint he almost thought he'd imagined it. "Draco please, help me."  
  
"Hermione!" He ran to the bathroom and froze at the sight that met his eyes. "Oh Hermione," She was sitting in a chair, in the shower, with her hands and feet bound to the arms and legs of the chair and there was a gag just barely covering her mouth. One of her forearms had been slashed and the wound was gushing blood. Not to mention her beautiful face that was now all bloodied up. Her hair was plastered to her forehead and there was blood trickling down her face. The blood that was gushing from the wound in her forearm was collecting underneath the chair and around her feet before oozing down the drain.  
  
"Draco.?" She looked up at him, her eyes filled with pain and relief. She could barely keep her eyes open; she was so weak from her excessive blood loss. Draco snapped back into reality and took out his pocket knife. Damn, that knife was useful. Funny thing is, he thought to himself, the only times I've needed to use it have been to cut Hermione free, well, except for oranges. He smirked, who would've thought. He sliced the rope that bound her hands and feet and then gently pulled down the gag. He caressed her face and watched as her eyes shut themselves.  
  
"Hermione? No, Hermione! Stay with me. Okay? Please? Stay with me." He patted her face with both his hands and tried to open her eyes with his thumbs. "No please. don't die on me, we've come this far. Please, I need you. Don't give up! Please! Hermione! Wake up!" Her face was becoming deathly pale, somewhat like his own. Then he came to his senses. He leaned back and examined the wound in her wrist. He then pulled out his wand, waved it over the wound and whispered something. Thanks Pomfrey for all those spells I learnt from her I was in the Hospital Wing, he thought to himself as he watched the wound heal itself. She'd lost a lot of blood, but now she won't be losing anymore. He smiled in satisfaction, that was twice he'd saved her life now. Hopefully he didn't need to again. He pointed his wand at her face and whispered another spell. The blood fell from her hair and face leaving her looking a lot cleaner and much more like Hermione. He waved his wand at the shower floor and watched the particles bolt for the drain. "Much better," he whispered to himself.  
  
He looked back at Hermione and the smile faded from his face. She looked a lot closer to death than she did before. She needed to get to a hospital as soon as possible. Draco leaned her forward and slid his arm behind her. Then he slid his other arm under both her legs and gently lifted her out of the chair. Just as he turned around and headed out of the door, he felt it again. It. That all too familiar feeling. "Shit," he said and he bolted towards the bedroom door. He reached out with one hand, turned the door knob and opened the door, before it suddenly slammed shut.  
  
"And where do you think you're going, boy?"  
  
Draco closed his eyes in fear and opened them in rage. "Hmm. in case you haven't noticed Lucius," he spat out the name and he suddenly felt Lucius tense up, "I'm not a boy anymore. I'm your teenage son who just so happens to be 17. I shouldn't really call myself your son though, seeing as the only thing we have in common is our DNA, I'm ashamed to be a Malfoy, I'd rather be a muggle."  
  
"According to your little mudblood friend, your supposed to be dead. But you're still breathing," Lucius whispered in Draco's ear.  
  
"Thanks for pointing that out, Captain Obvious," Draco replied smoothly. He knew he was pushing buttons but right now, he just had to try and get the hell out of there and get Hermione to a hospital. Her breathing was getting fainter and fainter and he could barely even feel her breath on his neck.  
  
"She's dead. Mmm, shame, she would have been a fabulous sacrifice for your initiation, don't you think?" Lucius smirked.  
  
Draco spat in Lucius' face, "I hate you," he whispered.  
  
"Oh my poor son," Lucius tutted, "you just need to be reminded of that feeling deep inside that you get when you kill someone you've been lying to for years, remember Anna?"  
  
Draco shut his eyes, how could he forget Anna. After all, she was his first kill, and yes, Draco killed many people after her. Anna and the others was the only secret Draco kept from Hermione, how could she love a murderer. Anna had been baby sitting him for only about two years before Lucius told him what he must do; Draco was only 8 years old when he killed Anna.  
  
"Of course you remember her. I will take pride in reminding you how it felt to kill." Lucius thought for a moment, "Mmm, we can't very well use her anymore now can we?" Lucius gestured to Hermione, "I knew she was weak, but not that weak. I barely even touched her. Oh well, can't be helped. Now we need someone you care about, don't we? I wonder if you're mother is free."  
  
If Draco wasn't holding Hermione's frail body, he would have killed Lucius then and there, for saying those last few words. Draco could no longer feel her breath, she truly was gone. He moved past Lucius and placed Hermione on the bed, "Oh, Hermione," he whispered to her, "I'm sorry, I tried." He moved over to his suitcase and pulled out the locket.  
  
"What are you doing, boy?" Lucius demanded.  
  
"If you give me a minute, I will go with you willingly. It will be easier for you that way, will it not?" Draco stared at his father.  
  
"You have thirty seconds."  
  
Draco brushed back Hermione's hair and attached the locked around her neck, he looked at her; she looked beautiful even in death. He knew it was too late, no use to fight Lucius. "I will see you in heaven, if I am worthy of that place." He placed one final kiss on her deathly cold lips and stroked her hair.  
  
"Are you done?" came Lucius' cold voice from the corner.  
  
"I will never be done, how can I say goodbye? How can I let her go?" Draco asked, he didn't not cry, he could not, his pain was beyond tears. "You wouldn't know. But I ask you, as your only son, will you kill me now?"  
  
"No, I don't think so. The Dark Lord wants to see you. You can at least look forward to that." Lucius smirked.  
  
"Let's go." Lucius pulled out a gold Armani watch, a portkey. Draco and Lucius were gone within seconds, leaving Hermione alone in the room. It wasn't long before the house keeper found her on the bed, barely alive. *****  
  
Chapter 7 must be approved by the other half of bugalugs before I can post it so savour chapter for as long as you can. Luv Me Thanks to all who reviewed 


	7. The Illusion

Disclaimer: Yes I finally remembered and just because I always (well, almost always) forget I disclaim this whole damn story, except the plot but don't think that because I have disclaimed this story that any of you cheeky fan fictioners can go and borrow my plot, because I didn't disclaim that. Just the characters which belong to J K Rowling and of course warner brothers who owns the movie.  
  
Authors Note: Okay Im just pre-warning you this chapter is a little odd, but I was hyperactive when I wrote this and you are all getting desperate for another chapter and unfortunately this is all I have, my exams are all next week so after that the pressure is off and you will definitately be getting more of this story. This isn't going to turn into one of those freaky weird odd blurgy stories with marshmallow bunny rabbits and machine guns, although Im sad to say I must have it in for poor Hermione as all of my story ideas involve her being raped, kidnapped or killed. Its just so sad. Please read and review.  
  
love ya all  
  
Lozza  
  
Chapter 7 - The illusion Hermione open her eyes and looked around her hospital room. Her blurry vision could just barely make out a small table in the corner with two muggle magazines on it and a green chair with a matching green cushion on it.  
  
"How are you feeling?" A woman, no older than 30, smiled at her. She had a sweet face, flushed cheeks and strawberry blonde hair which was tied back into a bun.  
  
"Argh," Hermione could only groan, she was sore all over, like she had fallen from the top of a skyscraper, not that she knew what that felt like, she could only imagine.  
  
"You'll feel a little groggy from the anaesthetic, but you'll be fine. It was quite a nasty way you were found in, do you remember what happened? You lost a lot of blood but there was no wound."  
  
Hermione groaned again, how could she forget what had happened? The pain was so intense, but after a while the throbbing became rhythmic, she became less focused on her arm and began to notice what was happening around her. She was in the shower, goodness know why he put her there, the shower head was dripping. Drip. Drip. Drip.  
  
"Excuse me!" the nurse was beginning to raise her voice in annoyance, "which would you prefer?"  
  
"Of what?" Hermione asked, the nurse grunted as she realised Hermione was not listening at all and she would have to repeat herself for the fifth time! "I said, would you like a shower now or would you like to wait until your parent return from their lunch?"  
  
"I think I'll take a shower now thank you."  
  
The water was warm on her body, but not the least bit relaxing. Hermione was of mixed feelings, one half of her was telling her to stay safe in her hospital bed until she was better, but the other half was planning how best to leave unnoticed and rescue Draco. She mentally stamped out any thought of leaving Draco to his father and set her mind to leaving this nauseating place. The nurse soon came back to fetch her from the shower and take her back to her room. Hermione was relieved to find her room empty when she returned, once the nurse was gone she gathered her things and quickly dressed in her jeans and a yellow t-shirt. She darted past the nurses staff room and nodded at the guard before slipping out of the ward and into the corridor.  
  
~~~***~~~  
  
The wind was cool on her face and it whipped her hair into tangles behind her. She was still feeling light headed and she sat on a bench every 10 -15 minutes to regain her strength. 'How will I ever manage to help Draco if I cant even last 20 minutes without coming close to fainting.' She was in a terrible situation, but there was nothing to be done about it. Hermione had not any idea where it start looking for Voldemort and no idea who to ask. So, in a desperate attempt at any sort of lead, she headed towards Flinders Cabin. It was busier than before and the noise and commotion was making her head spin. She sat on a bench next to a palm tree and closed her eyes.  
  
"I need some serious help." She whispered to herself.  
  
"Weez are all needin help, sister! What make ya fink yor so special, eh?" The owner of this deep voice was very small, no bigger than one hand span, and plump, not at all what she imagined the owner of such a voice to look like. He was wearing clothes of brown leather and he was smoking an incredibly smelly cigar.  
  
"Who are you? What are you?" Hermione asked this rather odd looking fellow.  
  
"Barney, juz call me Barney." He answered with a wink. "Ya plead ya case. I'm ya judge and ya jury, I decide wot happens to ya. Got it?"  
  
"Yeah, I think so," Hermione had read about the Diastrons, well that is, in fact if that was what Barney was, she couldn't be sure because the Diastrons came in all different shapes, sizes and forms, "I tell you what I need help with and you decide if you think I need it badly enough for you to help."  
  
"Hole in one, sister, yaz one smart cookie." He slapped his knee with his hand.  
  
"I need to save my friends life, I just don't know where he is." Hermione looked desperately at Barney.  
  
"Ya friends life, eh?" Barney said, thinking. "Are ya riskin' your neck ta save hiz?"  
  
"Yes, there is a high possibly I will die, but I love h-" Hermione stopped in mid sentence, completely shocked at what she was just about to say. 'Love Malfoy.Draco Malfoy. Me, love him!?'  
  
"Ya love 'im?" Barney smiled, "well, how could I say no ta that? I'd have to be heartless. I can find ya man for ya, in fact just coz ya love 'im, I can do one better, I can take ya there. Howz that?" Barney was grinning from ear to ear.  
  
"Thank you," Hermione said. She shook her head, in an attempt to clear away her thoughts and concentrate on Barney's instructions.  
  
"Gimme ya hand," Barney stretched out his hand to her and she took it. "close ya eyes, and fink of exactly wot you want."  
  
She did as she was told, picturing Draco that night they when for a walk together. She heard Barney wish her luck before she fell into a seemingly never ending black hole. She fell down and down and down. Hermione was instantly reminded of Alice in wonderland, falling down the rabbit hole.  
  
Thump! She had landed on a soft bed, she glanced around her, the bed looked as though it were made for a king, and inside the bed, what looked like a prince, though she could not see his face, he looked as though he were asleep. Dead. Unconscious. She didn't know. She reached over and pulled the covers down, enough to see his face properly, she gasped. He had no face, well, when I say 'no face' I mean he did have a face once, but the mangled bloody mess could hardly be called a face, it could only be call just that, a mess. The flaming red hair upon the body's head could only belong to a Weasley, Ron Weasley. She was only able to tear her eyes from him when the urge to throw up drowned her like a river, she succumbed to her urge in the toilet of the connecting bathroom. Though she dreaded to do so she needed to find Draco and the only way to do that was to go back into that room.  
  
She stepped out of the bathroom only to find the bed and Ron's body gone, replacing it was a doll house and a small child brushing the hair of one of the many dolls surrounding her. The girl looked no more than three years of age, she was wearing a frilly pink dress, overdone with lace and ribbons from top to bottom, the girl looked at Hermione and smiled. Hermione frowned as she recognised the girl, as though she'd seen her somewhere before, but where? The girl stood and made her way towards Hermione, she took her hand and lead her back to the doll house, Hermione sat with the girl and watched her play. As she watched her the realisation hit her and her jaw dropped in utter disbelief, the girl was her! Hermione Granger at age three. Hermione recognised everything, the dress, her mother made her wear it to Aunt Libby's wedding as flower girl. The doll, Melanie, Hermione had stuck to that doll like glue until one day she left it on the school bus and she never found it again. Hermione shrieked and jumped away, moving backwards more and more, but never taking her eyes off the girl.  
  
"What do you want? Leave me alone." Hermione asked desperately, her voice was shaking.  
  
'Hermione!' The cry was distant, muffled. Hermione was scared out of her wits and this cry almost made her pass out.  
  
"Go away." She pleaded. She was still walking backwards, from the girl, when she bumped into something solid, she spun around she found herself face to face with Cedric Diggory. It was all too much and she collapsed on the floor in a sobbing heap, much like Narcissa Malfoy. What on earth was going on?  
  
Hermione jumped when she felt someone stroking her hair, she looked up and saw the most fabulous person in the world. Harry Potter. He wiped away her tears and helped her up, before sweeping her into a glorious hug.  
  
'Hermione,' it was the voice again, the muffled creepy one.  
  
"Oh, Harry, I'm so scared," she whimpered into his shoulder, "take me home, take me away from here."  
  
"Do you love him, Hermione?" Harry asked quietly.  
  
"Love who?" She asked, confused at his question.  
  
"Have you forgotten why you are here already, my love?" He asked, his voice edged with annoyance.  
  
"Malfoy?"  
  
"Yes, stupid girl, Malfoy!" Harry pushed her away roughly and she fell to the floor hard.  
  
"Ow! Harry! What's gotten into you?"  
  
Harry reached down and ripped at her hair, "I said, do you love him?" he asked harshly.  
  
"Ow! Ow! Harry let go! What are you doing?" Hermione was panicking, surely this was not her Harry.  
  
"Wrong! Answer my question!" Harry slapped her in the face and she fell to the floor again. "Do you love him? Do you love him? Do you love him?" he was yelling at her now.  
  
"Harry?" She said softly, "why does it matter?"  
  
Harry knelt down behind her, he pulled her hair back revealing her ear and whispered, "Because I want him to watch you die knowing how you feel about him. Love is the best kind of torture."  
  
Tears streamed down her face, "Who are you?" she asked quietly.  
  
"I'm Harry, of course," She could hear his soft laughter in her hear, then a sharp pressure on her throat. It was a knife.  
  
"Now, Hermione, dear, I suggest you say something, he's watching you know." The pressure increased and warm blood oozed down her neck, she knew she didn't have much longer.  
  
"Your not worthless, Draco! Your special and don't you ever forget that!" Hermione shouted this to him, where ever he may be, with all of her heart and soul.  
  
"What no messages of undying love? Oh well too late now. Goodb-"  
  
But Harry never finished his sentence because he was already dead.  
  
"Oh no, what now? Aliens, snakes spiders or -" The room evaporated into nothing, and Hermione was left staring into the eyes of-  
  
"- Draco?"  
  
"Hermione what are you doing here?"  
  
"I came to rescue you, but you seem to be doing okay on your own." She said, noticing him free and relatively unharmed.  
  
Despite the danger they were in Draco laughed. "You dolt! Come on lets get out of here."  
  
"What happened in there?"  
  
"I'll tell you later, just keep a look out, okay? There are a lot of people in here who wish that I was dead right now, and none of them would have any problem in killing us both."  
  
"You know, you could've just said there were death eaters looking for us."  
  
"Well, yeah, that too. Come on and keep down." 


	8. Escaping

Chapter 8  
  
I'd like to dedicate this chapter to my dog, Reggie, who died on Thursday at the age of 12. We had him put down because he couldn't even stand up anymore. I will always love him. This chapter may be a little sloppy because Cari is in America, so I'm writing and proof reading, and as most of you know, for the best possible result you can't do both. But unfortunately I haven't any choice in the matter. It's short, but I haven't been able to concentrate on the story much lately.  
  
  
  
Hermione had no idea how they had managed to get themselves into this mess, she would have laughed at the irony of the situation, had it not been so dangerous to do so. Although, she had to admit, she didn't really mind being squished up against Draco like she was, they were in a cupboard, it had been a quick dash to safety before the death eaters had walked in the room. Although, she still hadn't quite gotten over the events that occurred not even an hour ago, she was relieved to find out that it hadn't really been Harry and Ron and they were still, most probably safe and sound with Sirius and Remus.  
  
"It was an illusion," Draco had explained to her earlier, "a fake, nothing that happened in there was real, but trying to kill you, that was real enough." He looked at her with sincerity, "that's why I was calling to you, did you hear me?"  
  
'Oh, my gosh,' the realisation hit her like a crane wrecking ball (A/n: I tried to be original), she had completely forgotten, "that creepy voice? That was you?"  
  
"Thanks, Herm, nice to know you like the sound of my voice," he said with a smirk, "but seriously, I truly don't know if we are going to survive this and before anything, well, happens, I wanted to, um, tell you, you're a good person, Hermione, you really are." Draco never said a word after that, there had been some not so subtle noises on the other side of the door, he just indicated to the cupboard and they had been in there ever since. The Death Eaters had been sitting in that room for ages, goodness knows what they were doing, but it seemed they would be in there for a while longer.  
  
After what felt like another half an hour, Draco whispered, "I can't take this anymore, I'd rather go out there and die now than rot in here for the rest of my miserable life." Hermione nodded, she was also thoroughly sick of sitting in there, and besides, her bum was numb and she needed to stretch her legs. Draco creaked the door open and peeped outside in to the empty room, he breathed a sigh of relief and let Hermione out too before shutting the cupboard again.  
  
"Okay, well, now what?" Hermione voiced the question to Draco.  
  
"Um, I suppose we better find a way out of here."  
  
Hermione glanced around the room, it was set up like a muggle executive office, there was a desk with office stationery neatly placed on the top and a few pot plants around the room, all in all, she thought it was a lovely place to work. But they weren't here to work, without saying anything to Draco, Hermione walked over to the desk and started checking the contents of the draw. Top draw, nothing. Second draw, scissors, 'that could be useful,' she took them out but kept on searching. Third draw, letter opener, 'yes, perfect,' she removed that also and placed it next to the scissors. Bottom draw, locked, 'dammit, what now?' While she was busy with the desk draws, Draco had checked the door and the windows.  
  
"Found anything?" he asked her, appearing at her side. She showed him the scissors and the letter opener.  
  
"But the bottom draw is locked."  
  
"So, we need a key. You check the desk again, feel all the linings, look for a small spot or a secret area. I'll check the pot plants and what not."  
  
"Or we could just do this," Hermione whipped out her wand and before Draco could stop her, she whispered, "Accio key." A small key flew to her and she held out her hand.  
  
"No! How could you be so stupid?," he said critically, "they'll have magic detectors, otherwise, I would have used it sooner."  
  
Hermione paled, "sorry" she whispered.  
  
"Apologise later, for now just concentrate on getting out of here."  
  
Hermione opened the bottom drawer and searched through it.  
  
"Bingo! Ohh yes! Check this out Draco! A gun and-"  
  
"Come on!" He was standing at the window which was wide open with a rope tied to the desk leg. She didn't like the look of this, she was terribly scared of heights and a rope, hanging out the window of a room they were trying to escape from did not look at all promising.  
  
"Draco did I ever tell you I was afraid of heights? Terribly, unbelievably and completely afraid of heights, which, by the way, is the reason I was never good at flying."  
  
"You'll be fine. Come on, you go first."  
  
"No! No, no, no, Draco, I can't, there's no way! Please Draco, please can you go first?" She looked at him desperately, begging him to understand.  
  
"Okay, okay," he agreed hastily, he didn't think it was the best thing to do, 'what if she freezes half way down and I'm not above her to keep her going?' but he didn't have time to argue with her, "But we have to be quick."  
  
Draco stepped out of the window and clung to the rope, he moved down slowly and beckoned Hermione to do the same, but it was too late. The door burst open and Lucius Malfoy stood in the room, he was alone, but the others wouldn't be far behind, she had a few seconds maybe. Hermione whipped out her wand, "Stupefy" she whispered and Lucius was instantly unconscious.  
  
"Hermione! What's going on?" Draco called out to her from the window, he could not longer see inside the room. She rushed to the window and lent down to speak to Draco.  
  
"Do you remember that night when we went for a walk?" she said to him, "and we raced to the lamp? I won and I left my options open as to what I wanted you to do, do you remember?"  
  
"Yes, but I don't understand?"  
  
"They wont be long," she said, referring to the Death Eaters she could now hear coming along the corridor. "This is what I want, Draco, I want you to leave. I want you to take this," she handed him a parcel, but he refused to take it, "Draco! Take it, take it now, I'll keep the gun, maybe I can get away, go back to Hogwarts and never look back, I'll be fine. Go, please."  
  
She threw the parcel at him and slammed the window, before he could reply and only a split second before the Death Eaters arrived. The window was open just enough for the rope to fit though and Draco strained to hear what was going on inside, just to hear anything that might give him a clue as to where they might be taking Hermione, he wasn't going anywhere without her. But he heard nothing. 


	9. Harry and Ron go to Venice

Chapter 9 - Harry and Ron go to Venice  
  
Draco was at a loss for what to do next. Hermione had a muggle gun, which was comforting to know. Draco learnt what a muggle gun could do a few weeks before and he was certain Hermione was not at all squeamish about using it. But even so, he could never leave her, there was no way. He was sitting under a tree in a nearby park, watching the sun go down, it was beautiful, at least it would have been if had taken the time to notice it. He gave a frustrated growl and punched the grass with his fist, only it wasn't the grass that he hit.  
  
"That package from Hermione," he said to himself.  
  
He picked up the box, which was slightly dented from Draco's violent outburst and inspected the opening, it use to be taped shut but Hermione had cut the tape before. Hermione. It hurt to think of her, he couldn't imagine why. 'Focus, Malfoy, the package.' He slowly reopened the box and looked inside. The package was full of muggle money, and I mean a lot of muggle money, just by inspection Draco estimated there was a few thousand pounds, more than enough. But that didn't help Hermione, he knew he couldn't get her out alone, his father would be expecting that. He needed help. There was one particular name that kept rearing its ugly head, Harry Potter. Out of all the people he could think of, Potter was the dumbest and most idiotic, in his opinion anyway, and also the most likely to barge into a room full of Death Eaters, and most likely Voldemort, demanding they hand over the girl, like some badly made Western muggle movie. But with all his qualities, he was the last person Draco wanted to ask for help. Draco thought this over for a minute or so. It didn't seem he had much choice, it was either Potter or he was on his own and he didn't really fancy that idea much, well less than the other idea, anyway.  
  
Draco hailed a cab and asked for the National Art Museum, the closest muggle building, that he knew of, to Flinder's Cabin. He wanted to send Potter an owl before he found somewhere to spend the night. Flinder's Cabin was almost empty, which suited Draco fine, the owlery was just about to close when he arrived, he did some fast talking and threw a few charming smiles and the girl let him in to send off an express owl to Godric's Hollow.  
  
"Should be there this time tomorrow," she said and smiled at him.  
  
***~~~***  
  
Harry Potter had his face squished into the pillow, he could barely breathe, how long could he last before he passed out. What would happen if he passed out? Would he see his life flash before him? Would the pain stop? He couldn't take it anymore, he refused to give in. The pressure became more intense and he groaned with pain. There was a voice, his assailant was speaking but his couldn't make out his words. His glasses were digging into the bridge of his nose. With a last futile attempt he gathered the last of his strength and heaved the attacker off his back and with one swift movement pinned him to the ground, digging his elbow into his assailant's throat.  
  
"You give?" Harry asked getting his breath back and grinning at Ron.  
  
Ron somehow choked out a 'yes' and Harry let him go. Remus came into the dimly lit lounge room smiling at the two boys.  
  
"If you boys don't stop wrestling in here you are likely to break something, or kill each other," he said, still smiling. "Gee, look at the time, I wonder how long dinner is going to be."  
  
Sirius was in the kitchen cooking up a storm. Harry, Ron and Remus all trooped into the kitch to find Sirius affectionately scratching an owl Harry had never seen before.  
  
"He came in with this," Sirius said, handing Ron a folded piece of parchment.  
  
"Thanks, Sirius." The two boys headed into Harry's bedroom to read the letter. The note was written in an unfamiliar scrawl, it was brief and to the point. Hermione was in trouble, the letter was from none other than Draco Malfoy, it said his father had her and he needed Harry's help to rescue her, he knew Hermione was in Venice, but that was it, he didn't know exactly where Hermione was or Draco for that matter, he didn't know how to contact him, he didn't know how much trouble she was in, how long they had before it was too late or what they were up against. Harry read and reread the letter countless times, Ron, however, read it once and began packing the necessities, like wands and potions. It took Ron a few minutes to notice Harry had not moved, he was, in fact, in some sort trance, staring open mouthed at the wall. Ron walked over to him and snapped (A/N: conflict of interests, Australians say clicked) his fingers.  
  
"Harry!" Harry didn't move, he continued staring at the wall, blankly.  
  
"This is all my fault, Voldemort is using Hermione to get to me." He said after a few seconds of silence.  
  
"No, Harry. This is all Malfoy's fault. After we get Hermione out, I'm gonna kill him."  
  
"This is all my fault." Harry said again.  
  
Ron smacked Harry upside the head, then continued packing. Harry, after a few seconds of recap on what had just happened, got up and helped him. Neither said a word.  
  
There was a loud bang from the kitchen. Harry and Ron jumped. Harry noticeably paled, before sprinting out the door and down the staircase, in the direction of the noise. The sight that met Harry's eyes was not at all what he expected, Sirius was standing in front of a charcoal chicken, his wand raised and look of surprise on his face. Harry couldn't help himself even after all that had happened with Hermione, he just had to laugh. Ron, who was close on his heel all the way down the stairs, was already cracking up beside him.  
  
"Mm Hmm, I hope you boys weren't too hungry," Sirius said sheepishly. "Remus," he added, "we have a problem."  
  
"I gathered that," Remus said with a smirk, "what are you going to do about it?"  
  
"I am not going to do anything. You, however, are going to get another chicken."  
  
"Me? Oh no, no, no, my dear, old friend, you are sadly mistaken, you see, you are going to get another chicken."  
  
"How about," Harry suggested, "you both get the chicken."  
  
"Capital idea, Harry," Sirius said with a smile, "Remus you get the gold, I'll get our coats."  
  
Remus and Sirius apparated out a few minutes later, and unbeknownst to them, they left Harry and Ron to frantically pack. Harry left a note on which he wrote:  
  
Sirius and Remus,  
  
Back tomorrow, we'll be fine.  
  
Harry.  
  
Sirius and Remus knew Hermione was holidaying in Venice, it was too much of a risk to mention her in the note, because he knew they would follow them to Venice. They needed as little fuss and attention as possible, and I'm not sure if it is just because they were old, but it seemed that they would make a fuss. Adults were fuss makers and that was that.  
  
The boys soon found themselves on the Knight Bus drinking hot chocolate with marshmallows and discussing the best way to kill Malfoy, once they got their hands on him and, of course, once Hermione was safe again. Boy, did this bus bring back memories. Good memories and bad memories. Harry had used this bus once before, four long years ago, he was escaping, escaping the Dursley's, escaping Aunt Marge, escaping the Ministry, escaping life. Everything had been going wrong for him that year and he just had to get away. But, he had to admit, that year was the first year he'd had a real birthday with real presents. He had been by himself that time on the Bus, but now he was with a friend, a friend who, he knew, will be by his side forever, he will be with him tomorrow when they save Hermione and when they kill Malfoy, he will be there when he fulfils his so called destiny, which Harry thought was a load of tosh, and kills Voldemort and he will be there on his wedding day, he better be there on his wedding day, after all, Harry was intending to marry his sister. Stan was still working on the Knight Bus, he was about twenty three now and as a result had lost his acne, but it seemed to Harry, although the last time he saw Stan was quite some time ago, his ears poked out more than before. Ron was snoring beside him and Harry thought he'd better get some sleep, Stan said it was going to be a long trip.  
  
***~~~***  
  
It was almost midnight when the boys were dropped off at Flinder's Cabin, they stumbled out their eyelids heavy, they didn't get much sleep the night before, they were too busy wrestling, laughing and just talking. Flinder's Cabin was deserted and there was no sign of a nearby hotel, neither of them had any muggle money and not nearly enough wizard gold to pay for a hotel room.  
  
Harry walked over to a bench and looked it over, "Well," he said, "this looks as good a place as any."  
  
"Great," Ron looked at Harry and then the bench and back to Harry, "What for?"  
  
"Ron, where else do you suggest we sleep?" Harry asked, as he settled himself on the bench leaving a space for Ron.  
  
"Sleep? Here?" He stared at the bench, "you're kidding?"  
  
" 'Fraid not, Ron."  
  
Ron sat down next to Harry, who was already half asleep, with a disgusted look on his face, he tried to stay awake, but eventually he slowly drifted off. He dreamt of Hermione and Harry, how they met in the train, the troll, Devil's Snare and the chess board, he dreamt of Ginny and the Chamber of Secrets and how, last year, he had accidentally caught Harry and Ginny making out one night in the Quidditch broom closet, but they were too into each other to notice him. Ron had been waiting for this to happen, there was no one he trusted more for his sister than Harry.  
  
The next morning, the boys woke with the sun, Venice was slowly waking and for the first time they saw this beautiful city come to life. Harry and Ron clumsily fixed themselves up and made their way down the street in search of some food and Draco Malfoy. 


	10. Rescuing Hermione

Disclaimer: I own nothing of Harry. J K Rowling and Warner Bros. does. And I totally disclaim "I'm with you" by Avril Lavigne.  
  
I am so unbelievably sorry about leaving it so long before I posted, this was one of the hardest chapters I had to write. It took a lot of hours on the phone with Cari trying to figure it out and then exchanging the chapter several times to make sure we were both happy with it. Plus I spent almost a month in Sydney and we're both doing out last year of high school and Cari is moving so it's been pretty hectic and frankly, I think you should be glad to at least have this chapter. Look for the next chapter, I like to say next week, but realistically in about a month. And oh yes, horray for J K Rowling Book 5 is out on the 21st of June!!!  
  
Chapter 10 - Rescuing Hermione  
  
Draco tossed and turned all night, waking every few hours sticky with sweat and tangled in his large bed sheets. In the few hours he did sleep, his dreams were filled with horrible images of Hermione back in his hotel bathroom, he relived the scene over and over again, until the blood, the tears and the pain became too much for him to stand and he woke.  
  
Draco left his room just before sunrise, he didn't bother with breakfast or a shower or any other morning pleasantries, he was so completely focused on Hermione he only barely remembered to get dressed. Flinders Cabin seemed the only logical place Harry and Ron would be so, obviously, that's where he went. Just as the sun was beginning to come into view over the horizon, Draco heard a deep rumbling, something sounding very alien to this world, rounding the corner Draco's eyes met with an unexpected sight, a sight he made sure would be imprinted in his mind for a long time. Harry and Ron asleep on a bench, the deep extra terrestrial rumbling, he realised, was nothing but Ron snoring loudly. 'Finally,' he thought, 'I have proof that the Weasley's really are aliens.'  
  
After taking in the irony of the situation, Draco began to think of what he was going to do. Hermione was indeed in danger, but even now the Old Draco and his wicked ways began to shine through once more. The Old Draco. Where did that come from? To think of his wicked self as old implied there was a new less wicked Draco. And he wasn't sure he was ready to change. But perhaps it wasn't a decision, perhaps it just happened.... Draco looked at the sleeping boys and thought of how he would feel if he were suddenly friends with them. Friends with them? He would never be friends with them. Even if he wanted to be friends with them, they wouldn't even contemplate it. Come to think of it. Why the hell am I contemplating such a thing?  
  
The sun was now fully visible in the morning sky and Harry and Ron were beginning to stir, Draco ducked out of sight, as the boys began to stretch. Both boys sat up and bid each other good morning, before trudging down the street towards the entrance to Flinders Cabin. Draco followed behind just out of sight, but always in ear shot.  
  
"Harry, what are we doing here?"  
  
"Saving Hermione"  
  
"But what if it's a trap, what if Malfoy is setting us up, what if he is planning to deliver us to Voldemort?"  
  
"Ron, life is full of what ifs, but to me the biggest and most important what if is, what if it's not a trap and Hermione is in danger? Can you afford to take that chance?"  
  
"Wise words Potter." Draco said coming out of the shadows. Both boys had turned to confront Draco, "It doesn't sound like you care about her much, Weasley," he continued, "your worried about your ass more than hers."  
  
"Forgive me if I find it a little hard to believe that you have a heart, Malfoy, let alone find enough compassion in it to help her."  
  
"Don't insult me, Weasley, you have no idea what has happened in the last few days. Just to ease your mind, she is in trouble and if I did want to deliver you to the Dark Lord, don't you think I would have done it before now?" Draco's voice was sharp, annoyed, threatening, daring Ron to fight him. Draco knew just how to aggravate Ron's short temper, over the years he had developed a voice and a look he used only when dealing with Ron. He had narrowed it down to an art.  
  
Sensing danger, Harry stepped between the two boys, who looked as if they were ready rip each others throat out. "Enough," he said firmly, "I'm hungry." Harry added those last two words as if it was just another day and it was just about time for lunch.  
  
After a few confused looks and more deadly glares between Ron and Draco, the three of them found themselves in a nearby muggle café eating foccacias for breakfast. Draco explained what had happened in the last few days, although he left out the part about dinner, the kiss and his feelings towards Hermione. 'It would only make things worse' he decided. Harry and Ron had a lot of questions for Draco, to begin with Ron wanted to know more about the first night, when Draco saved Hermione's life, Hermione had mentioned something about it in a letter but she was very vague, and even Draco had skimmed over it. Draco argued at first, preferring not to tell them, but eventually gave in. Two against one weren't good odds.  
  
Ron was stunned. 'Kidnapped. Hermione was almost... Dead. Killed. Murdered. She hadn't done anything. She was innocent. Oh, Hermione. Who? I'll kill them!'  
  
"Who? Why? Harry, we have to do something." Ron said aloud.  
  
"We can't Ron. Its over now. They can't hurt her anymore. Now we just need to focus on saving her from Voldemort. Okay?" Harry was calm and sensible, even though he too, was shocked and angry that someone could do that to her. He was also angry at Hermione which he found surprising. Angry that she could let herself get into that sort of situation.  
  
"As much as I never thought I'd say this, Harry's right. We have to focus on now."  
  
Draco lead Harry and Ron to the run down, old house in which Hermione was being held, they scoped the area trying to find the best way to get in and out without being noticed. Although each of the boys was anxious to get Hermione out, all agreed it was best to wait until nightfall, at least that way the dark of night would hide them, if nothing else. After their entrance and exit points had been located, they headed back to Draco's hotel room for a shower and a bite to eat. Draco tried to organize some sort of plan or strategy, Harry didn't like the idea.  
  
"Look, Malfoy," Harry explained, much to Draco's disgust, "in my experience, plans are useless, I have never gone into anything with any sort of a plan. I just take it as it comes because life with throw something at you that you weren't expecting and it will throw your plan completely out of proportion."  
  
"Life will throw something at you? Please Potter," Draco drawled, "are you telling me that in all your encounters with the Dark Lord, you never once had a plan? That when, or should I say if, you defeat him, you will do it, not having planned it beforehand?"  
  
"The only plan I have, is to get everyone out alive, you, Hermione, Ron, and me, if I can." Harry's eyes showed, if nothing, his genuine concern for everyone's lives, Malfoy's included.  
  
"Don't bother yourself with me, Potter. I can look after myself."  
  
"I know, but even the best of us can use a hand sometimes."  
  
Draco looked at Harry, he soon realised, Harry had one of the purest souls in the world, muggle and wizard alike, he harbored no hate for anyone, although he was bordering on the hate line with the likes of Voldemort and his cronies, but still even then, even after his parents died, he still doesn't hate... Innocents were hard to come by these days, that's why he has to destroy Voldemort, because he's an innocent. Seerers, true seerers, must go crazy when he's around; granted he probably hasn't meet a true seerer, but his aura I swear must be pure white.  
  
Harry checked his watch, 10 am. He groaned.  
  
"Oh, you can't be serious. 10 am? That's it! We have to wait another," he paused, it had been a while since he'd done any sort of math so it took him a few seconds, to figure out just how long they had to wait till night fall, "9 hours until dark. Oh, this sucks! What are we suppose to do till then?"  
  
Harry and Ron, who had just gotten out of the shower, (a/n: Ron that is, only Ron, don't be gross!) both looked at Draco, who seemed content sitting there biting his nails.  
  
"Don't do that." Ron said finally after it was obvious Draco was going to ignore Harry's question. "It's a disgusting habit," he told him, "I use to do it too, then mum put this spell on my nails and whenever I bit them they would turn bright red, I was constantly teased by my brothers for wearing nail polish, I tell you, that stopped me quick smart."  
  
"Quick smart?" Draco said with a cringe, "I am not trying to pick a fight or anything, but really, quick smart? Who says that anymore? Apart from my mother."  
  
"Actually," Ron admitted, "I got that saying from my mother!" He wasn't angry, not in the least, "it is kind of stupid, isn't it?" he said with a grin.  
  
***~~~***  
  
After Draco had left, the Death Eaters grabbed her; she struggled to keep her balance as they pulled her through various doors and corridors, until finally she was dumped at the feet of none other than Lucius Malfoy. What a humongous surprise, that was. After a fierce interrogation and a few brutal blows to the head, Hermione was to go to the dungeons. The Death Eaters made a move to grab her.  
  
"I can walk by myself," she snapped at them.  
  
Lucius Malfoy just chuckled, "Let her walk," he said to the Death Eaters and waved his hand indicating they should leave.  
  
"Mr. Malfoy, Sir, just one more thing." Hermione said.  
  
Hermione grabbed the gun she had hidden in her robes and pointed it towards Lucius and pulled the trigger. Click. Nothing. Empty. 'Damn.'  
  
"What is that? Some useless muggle contraption? Give it here. And get out of my sight."  
  
Hermione threw the gun at Lucius.  
  
'Okay, so maybe that wasn't too successful. But I'm sure I'll find another way to get out.'  
  
Apart from the beating Lucius gave her, they hadn't really done anything too terrible to her. The Death Eaters, that is. She was in a dungeon, a sort of prison cell, you know the deal, dark, gloomy and damp with only the disgusting animals to keep you company, like rats and cockroaches and such. The Death Eaters didn't bother to put a watch on her specifically, which Hermione thought was very weird, seeing as though she was the prisoner most likely to be rescued. This was like a bad dream, like a movie, she struggled to remember a muggle movie with which she could compare her situation. She failed.  
  
'Is this what my life has been reduced to? A movie? A sad, sorry movie?' she thought to herself, 'Yes, that is exactly what my life has been reduced to, a movie. So that's how I'll get out, now, pretend Hermione, you are Jodie Foster, what would you do? Check what I have with me.'  
  
Hermione checked her pockets, a tissue, a hair tie and some chewing gum. Fantastic.  
  
Hair tie, tie while fighting, flinging the hair tie, using the hair tie as a sling shot.  
  
'Okay, not to worry. Now the only way to get out is the door, so let's check the door.' The door also was a complete bust, tightly shut and locked, it didn't even rattle when she shook it. Hinges, tight.  
  
"Dammit!" She said aloud.  
  
'Gee, maybe I shouldn't have told Draco to leave me here.'  
  
She gave a big rat a nudge out of the way and sat on the cold, stone ground. Absentmindedly, she began to sing a song that caught her hear on the muggle radio, a few days ago. "..Isn't anyone tryin to find me?  
  
Won't somebody come take me home  
  
It's a damn cold night  
  
Trying to figure out this life  
  
Wont you take me by the hand  
  
take me somewhere new  
  
I dont know who you are  
  
but I...... I'm with you..."  
  
***~~~***  
  
Under Harry's remarkable invisibility cloak, which Draco had decided he wanted rather badly, the three boys snuck into the building. It was empty, well, at least the first section was, as they moved through doors and along corridors, they had glimpsed several Death Eaters playing wizard chess, of all things and just talking in general. Rounding a corner, they immediately came to a stop as they found themselves face to face with Richard Parkinson, Pansy's father, talking with another Death Eater, Harry didn't recognize. They slowly moved towards the wall, praying none of the floor boards creaked, and flattened themselves against it until the conversation was over.  
  
"Did Lucius ever find out what that muggle thingy did?" The unknown Death Eater asked.  
  
"Yes, it was something called a gun, the girl got it from the draw of that muggle Zabini (Blaise's father, check the spelling on that) killed. It's a muggle weapon used for killing. If I found out some mudblood teenager tried to kill me, she'd be dead before she hit the ground, but Lucius just thinks it's funny. He is one," Richard stopped, searching for the right word, "strange man. Strange, but powerful. And if all goes to plan, Young Draco Malfoy will in following in his father's footsteps and once he and Pansy are wed, I will be in a position of some influence."  
  
Draco cringed at the thought of ever becoming his father and worse still, marrying Pansy. It just wasn't worth thinking about, but at least now, he had hope, one beautiful glimmer of hope. And her name was Hermione.  
  
The men moved along and they were alone once more.  
  
"Urgh," Ron said quietly, "they're going to make you marry Pansy? Poor you."  
  
"I know, it's disgusting, isn't it? She's happy about it. I wouldn't be surprised if she was the one who suggested it. She's so," Draco paused, "repulsive."  
  
"Shut up." Harry held up his index finger to silence them both. "Hear that?"  
  
Ron and Draco both listened. A voice rose from below and drifted through the corridor. The words were muffled, but they could tell it was a song of some sort. Harry and Ron who had heard Hermione sing on a number of occasions recognized her voice immediately, she wasn't fantastic at singing, but at least now they knew where she was. They quietly followed the voice down the hall; with every step the song became clearer, Harry recognized it from. They soon found the door she was behind, and it was guarded by none other than Goyle's father, um, well, Goyle. Now the only question that remained between Hermione and her freedom was, how on earth do they get past Goyle without using magic?  
  
"So, got any ideas Mr. we-don't-need-a-plan?" Draco asked Harry sarcastically, knowing full well he wouldn't.  
  
"Hey, it's not his fault; it's not as if he knew this was going to happen." Ron argued, rapidly coming to Harry's defense.  
  
"Well, you have to be pretty stupid not to expect a guard at the door! Idiot."  
  
Ron, realizing he didn't have a come back, did the first thing he thought of, he flew at Draco with his fists clenched. He hit Draco at full force knocking him backwards, completely out from under the cloak, Draco grabbed onto the front of Ron's shirt and Ron fell back with him. Goyle could hear their argument, and having a similar IQ to his son, could not quite place the where the voices were coming from, that was, of course, until Draco fell out of nowhere, landing in front of him with a bang.  
  
"Young Mr. Malfoy? What are you doing here? Who is that?" Goyle spluttered.  
  
"Mr. Goyle. Fine job. Fine job. Me and my friend and here to see the prisoner. So if you would be so kind as to open the door..."  
  
"Sorry, Young Master Malfoy, I was told not to let you in, and that if you were to arrive you were to see your father straight away."  
  
"See. I knew this wasn't going to work. Now we're going to die and it's all your fault." Ron said, as he shoved Draco.  
  
"My fault, oh that's rich! You're the one who pushed me out!" Draco shoved Ron back.  
  
"What?" Goyle asked dumbly  
  
"Well, you're the one who went all, 'Got any ideas Mr. we-don't-need-a- plan?'"  
  
"You didn't have to get so angry about it!"  
  
"Who are you kidding? You don't know me at all! You don't know any of us at all, not even Hermione, you might think you do, but you don't!"  
  
"Do not bring Hermione into this." Draco said rather harshly. "Listen Mr. High-and-Mighty, We'd all be out of here with Hermione if you had just listened to me.  
  
"Well, sounds to me like you think you can do fine by yourself, so what did you need me for?" Ron's fists were clenched and his face was crinkled in a dangerous scowl.  
  
"Maybe I don't need you" Draco lied.  
  
"Well, why don't you just stay here and rescue Hermione, and I'll go back to England and we'll both get what we want." Ron suggested, not meaning a word of it.  
  
"That's fine with me"  
  
"Fine with me too"  
  
"Fine!"  
  
"Fine!"  
  
"Um, guys?" Harry tapped Ron on the shoulder, finally getting there attention. It seems that while Ron and Draco were arguing, Harry had taken it upon himself to get Goyle out of the way. Harry indicated towards Goyle bound and squirming on the ground, near the door. He had found some old electrical cords running along the wall under the carpet and used them to tie Goyle up and Gag him. Ron and Draco were rather impressed, especially since they didn't notice him doing it.  
  
"Wow," Ron said, simply.  
  
"Um, yeah. Good stuff." Draco acknowledged Harry's work. He was very impressed, but didn't show it. After all, it wouldn't be Draco if he did.  
  
***~~~***  
  
The dungeons were obviously magical, there was no mistaking it. It had been enlarged to fit in nine gloomy, rat infested cells, Hermione was bounding around in the fourth cell along. And yes, she was literally bounding around the cell, she was bouncing on the balls of her feet, jabbing and punching thin air. Harry, who had done such a good job with Goyle, was at the door watching for any other Death Eaters, Ron, of course, had joined him, preferring to hang around with Harry rather than Draco.  
  
Draco moved slowly past the prisoners, one was cowering in the corner, the other was swirling in a circle in the middle of the cell with his arms out and the third was unconscious on the floor. Then there was Hermione. She continued to amaze him. Even after spending countless days in a damp dungeon, she was still...Hermione.  
  
"That's my girl. Always the fighter." Draco smiled at her; she stopped in mid punch, her cheeks quickly turning red from embarrassment.  
  
"Draco, you came back." She grinned at him, "thanks."  
  
"So, ah, let me just have a look at this door," Draco glanced at the lock and the hinges, both tightly secured. He shook a bit. "Ah, bad news. I'll be right back."  
  
Hermione watched Draco race back to the door and disappear through it. Thirty seconds later Draco reappeared and to Hermione's complete surprise, Ron followed him to her cell.  
  
"Ron? Oh my gosh! Ron!" Hermione reached her arms through the bars and pulled Ron into an attempted hug.  
  
"Are you okay?" Ron's eyes were wrinkled with concern.  
  
"I am now."  
  
"Great. Fine. We're all great. Could you, you know, the door!"  
  
"Oh, right yeah! Let's get you out of here." He winked at Hermione and moved towards the lock. He pulled out some wire from his pocket and carefully pushed in inside the lock, then began to wiggle it around. Ron had learnt to pick a lock from the twins, who had found it a useful piece of knowledge, especially during the holidays when they weren't allowed to use magic. After a minute or so, Draco began to get frustrated.  
  
"Could you hurry it up? We don't have all day!"  
  
"This is a delicate process. Unless you're my brothers, who have got it down to an art, they can do it in 30 seconds, but they aren't here are they so you are just going to have to be patient these things take time. In fact this could take up to 10 minutes-" Click. Ron stopped, the lock had popped opened, "or it could take a few minutes."  
  
"Fantastic," Draco grinned, "let's go."  
  
Draco grabbed Hermione's hand and they jogged towards the door, they were almost to the door when Hermione stopped and let go of Draco's hand. He turned to find Ron staring into the cell of a man, doing what looked like some sort of Ballet. Hermione slowly walk up to him. Draco followed; stand on in the left side of him, Hermione was on his right.  
  
"What about him?" Ron asked, directing the question to Draco, "What going to happen to him?"  
  
Draco was silent. Hermione put a hand on his shoulder.  
  
"Tell me, Malfoy; tell me he's not going to end up like that guy." Ron pointed at the unconscious, possibly dead, man in the cell next to him.  
  
"There's nothing we can do, he's already crazy." Draco eyes were downcast, "Father always says turning a man crazy is best kind of torture, worse than death, he says that once a man's gone crazy there's nothing left for him."  
  
"I am so sick of this!" Ron turned around and walked towards the door.  
  
***~~~***  
  
Goyle had wiggled around so much, Harry ending up hitting him over the head and knocking him out, just to keep him still. Harry wondered why they were taking so long to get Hermione out. It had been almost 10 minutes already. Ron came back first, silent but clearly distraught, he grabbed the cloak and held it open for everyone to get under. Draco and Hermione came out holding hands; they too were silent and upset. Harry wanted to hug Hermione, but he didn't, it seemed inappropriate somehow. He wasn't sure what it was but it was definitely...something.  
  
They all climbed under the cloak and although it was a bit of a squish, they made it under, not one bit of them showing. They moved slowly in order to keep every part of them covered. They were moving slowly back the way the boys had come, when they heard a voice floating down the hallway. There was no doubt who owned that voice.  
  
"Lucius." Draco whispered softly, more to himself than anyone else.  
  
"Out of the way or he'll hit us," Hermione whispered.  
  
They slowly backed up into a dark corner. Each of them held their breath, not daring to make any sort of noise. Lucius came barging around the corner with two more Death Eaters in tow, between the two other Death Eaters was another prisoner. The prisoner was limp, unconscious probably, he was held under each armpit by the Death Eaters, one on each side, and his feet were dragging behind. They couldn't see his face because his head was lolling around, but one could only imagine what it looked like. Terrible. Lucius was loudly declaring to the prisoner that it was all his fault. They weren't sure what was his fault, but it can't have been very good.  
  
"Stop it, Hermione. That tickles," said Ron.  
  
"What? I'm not touching you."  
  
Ron glanced at his shoulder and staring back at him was a dirty great big spider, he gasped quietly, knowing he couldn't make a sound. Harry clamped his hand over Ron's mouth, letting him breathe through his nose. Draco flicked the spider off Ron's shoulder, but Ron was still breathing heavily and shaking slightly. There was a cry of outrage and Lucius came storming past.  
  
"Everywhere!" He demanded "Look everywhere! The girl is gone. She can't be far; she hasn't been gone too long."  
  
The Death Eaters scattered and Lucius was left alone with one other Death Eater, he was very young, only just recruited. Harry recognized him; he was in the year above them, a Hufflepuff boy, if he remembered correctly. But Hufflepuff? He couldn't have been, Death Eaters come from Slytherin. 'Not all of them,' he reminded himself; 'Peter Pettigrew was a Gryffindor.'  
  
"Mr. Malfoy, Sir?" He prompted.  
  
"Ah, dammit!" Lucius growled. "If they don't find her, I'm dead. I knew we should have done something to weaken her. But, Master wanted her strong, didn't want to harm her, wanted her for his own. I can't believe this. I only just persuaded him to keep her locked up, but we were never permitted to speak of her parentage. If we didn't speak of it, she wasn't a mudblood."  
  
"Master wanted to have her for his own?"  
  
"Yes, Lewis. He was going to marry her when she turned 18, he thought it was time he had an heir and he was who she chose to mother it."  
  
"That's why she was captured?"  
  
"No, he decided after she was captured. He's never actually met her."  
  
"I don't understand."  
  
"You'll never understand, boy," Lucius said harshly. "That's why you were put in Hufflepuff. Now, if you repeat anything I have told you without permission, I will have your head. Do you understand THAT?"  
  
"Yes, Sir."  
  
"Good. Now, find her."  
  
The hall was empty once more, but none of the invisible teenagers moved a muscle or said a word for what seemed like 5 minutes. It was Hermione who broke the silence.  
  
"We have to go." That was all she said, and they all left.  
  
End Chapter 10  
  
Did you like? You better have, I spent so long on this chapter. Anyway, I was wondering, how do I get bold and italics on to my story? If any of you know email me, but make sure you something about it in subject because otherwise I'll just delete it. Email crookshanks_86@hotmail.com  
  
Thanks, Lozza. XXXOOO 


	11. Back to London

Disclaimer: I own no characters in this story; they all belong to the fabulously wonderful Joanne Kathleen Rowling.  
  
Chapter 11  
  
The walk home was silent, although each boy was glad Hermione was safe, all knew she must have been very distraught after hearing of Voldemort's plans for her. Hermione walked between Harry and Ron, her head bent down deep in thought, a tear slowly spilled down her cheek, without glancing up she reached her right hand out to find Harry's and her left to find Ron's, she grasped both hands tightly and cried silently until they reached Draco's hotel room. She stopped outside the door and didn't make any attempt to enter.  
  
She gave Harry and Ron both a hug, "Thank you for everything," she whispered to both of them in turn. "But I think I need to talk with Draco for a few minutes, in private, I'll see you inside in a minute."  
  
Harry and Ron did as she bid although with a tinge of reluctance. Once both boys had disappeared into the room Hermione looked at Draco unsmiling. "I'm sorry" she whispered her eyes downcast, "I just needed some time, I'm not sure what for, or why I wanted you to..I just.. I think need to cry.." her voice broke and she shut her eyes letting the tears fall down her face, she was breathing heavily and for a moment Draco didn't know what to do, unfortunately he was never very good around people when they were upset, generally because he was the cause of it and he wallowed in their pain. He took a step towards her, which was enough for Hermione, she grabbed him and pulled him into a hug, she snuggled her head into his shoulder and cried. That was it, she just cried.  
  
"I feel like such an idiot, nothing even happened" Hermione said, finally looking up at Draco.  
  
"You're not an idiot. I think the thought of Voldemort doing something like that would make anybody cry." Draco said with an attempt at an encouraging smile.  
  
Hermione smiled, still crying, "You're no help!"  
  
"What are you talking about, I'm always helpful."  
  
Hermione, who was still standing very close to Draco, snaked her arms behind his neck and pulled herself into him. "Be helpful. Kiss me." she whispered into his ear.  
  
"My pleasure."  
  
Their eyes locked for a second before her lips touched his ever so softly before she pulled away again and stared into his eyes. Draco smiled and this time it was he who leant in to kiss her, this time she didn't pull away but pulled her body closer to his, trying to remove every bit of space between them, if she didn't get closer, she feared her heart would burst. She pushed him against the wall and kissed him passionately.  
  
"Whoa, Hermione, steady on," he said pulling his lips away, "may I remind you, we are in the middle of the hallway and your two constantly-mad-at-me, surrogate brothers are in the next room."  
  
"Sorry, before we go in, I just wanted to know, what we are?" she asked resting her cheek against his chest.  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
She looked up at him. "Are we friends who occasionally enjoy a good snog every now and then? Or are we enemies? Or," she hesitated, "are we together?"  
  
"Oh. I see." Draco paused for a second turning this over in his mind. "Well, I don't want to be your enemy anymore, I want to be your friend."  
  
"Oh. Okay. Friends." Hermione, who was dangerously close to tears, turned to head inside.  
  
"Hermione, I wasn't finished."  
  
"You weren't?"  
  
"No, I was going to say. I want to be your friend, but if it's alright with you, I'd like to be your boyfriend too." Hermione's face lit up and she grinned at him.  
  
"Meanie!" she declared, hugging him tightly, "how could you do that?"  
  
"What can I say? Aren't I awful?"  
  
***~~~***  
  
Hermione who had already relayed her rather short and uneventful tale of woe, while in the clutches of Voldemort, to the boys, was sitting quietly listening and watching as Ron, rather dramatically flicking his wand about the place, retold an exciting game of hide and seek cursing (a wizard version of hide and seek chasey) he, Harry and Sirius had had while Remus was out shopping. By the way Harry was laughing and shaking his head at Hermione, she guessed, perhaps, Ron was exaggerating a little. Draco, who, under normal circumstances, would have sat there and grumbled about what a baby game it was, was actually enjoying the story as well, so much so he didn't notice that familiar feeling run up his spine.  
  
"And then!" Ron exclaimed, pausing for effect, "I stepped out of the bushes and shouted... WINGARDIUM LEVIOSA!!! Harry was..." Ron stopped instantly. It wasn't Harry that flew up into the air, as Ron was about to tell everyone, it was, in fact, Mr Lucius Malfoy, who as luck would have it had just apparated in, hoping to make a grand entrance and scare the pants of everyone, but was instead left wondering why on earth he was floating up near the ceiling. This moment of confusion on Lucius' part was just enough time for Harry, Hermione and Draco to grab their wands and shout curses.  
  
"Expelliarmus!"  
  
"Pertrificus totalus!"  
  
"Avada Kedavra!"  
  
(A/n: if you are any sort of a Harry Potter fanatic you will know who says what.) All four Hogwarts' students stared at Lucius whose wand was now in Harry's hand and was now staring back at them with his lifeless eyes.  
  
"Draco, what have you done?"  
  
"Later. We got to get out of here; if he found us chances are the Dark Lord will too." Draco exclaimed, while gathering up his stuff.  
  
"No kidding, Sherlock!" Ron mocked him.  
  
"Hermione, you know that spell for changing muggle money into wizard money, don't you?" Harry asked.  
  
"Yeah, I do. Where is the money?"  
  
Hermione worked her magic on the money she found in the muggle office where she and Draco had hidden and they were soon off on the Knight bus again (see a/n at the end re: Knight Bus) back to London. The trip was quiet and uneventful, they just caught up on some much need rest. Nothing was said about Draco's father. Ron and Draco, who turned out to be quite the competitor, played a rather fierce game of wizards chess, the chess board was provided by Ernie, the driver, Ron, as always, came out the victor.  
  
The leaky cauldron was quiet when they arrived, but Tom of course didn't mind the late night check in and agreed not to mention their arrival to anyone. Draco sent an owl to Dumbledore immediately and they all settled into bed. All except Ron, who was unanimously chosen as the first sentry.  
  
It was pretty quiet and Ron had taken to playing chess against himself with a chess set he found in the cupboard, which, not surprisingly wasn't working too well. Occasionally he would drop ice down his back and quietly jump about a little from the cold, just to wake himself up. He was jumping around the room for the 4th time that hour and, unfortunately, hit the corner of the table rather painfully. He swore from the pain waking Hermione from her light sleep. She sat up and pulled the covers back so she could get out and, without out a word, she walked over to the bathroom sink and wet the hand towel with cold water and rung it out.  
  
"Sit down you big baby," she ordered Ron. She folded the towel and placed it on Ron's bleeding knee, which was very quickly turning into a purple bruise. "Better?"  
  
"Much, thank you," he replied, "How you holding up?"  
  
"Fantastic," she said sarcastically, with a weak smile. "I don't get it. They didn't even touch me, except Lucius Malfoy," she faltered when saying his name, "yet I'm so drained and weak and every time I think about Voldemort and everything, I feel so empty, so..used."  
  
Ron gave her an encouraging smile and slipped his arm around her pulling her into a hug. "Oh, Hermione, you'll get through this, I promise. And even though it seems like you'll never feel normal again, you will. Every time you think about this you will feel this emptiness and if you let it, it'll consume you until there's nothing left. Or you can take that feeling and you can put it away and forget about it. One day, you may find it again, but won't last long. We love you. Me and Harry, we do. Don't you ever forget that."  
  
"What about Draco?" she asked quietly. Ron knew this would come up sometime.  
  
"Well, I can tell you right now," he said with a mischievous smile, "I do NOT love with Malfoy."  
  
"Ron!" she growled, playfully punching his stomach, "you know what I mean!"  
  
"Malfoy is..well, he's Malfoy. I wouldn't so go as far as to say I like him. And after," this time Ron faltered, "I dunno, I guess we can't bug him about it. We should just wait for Dumbledore."  
  
"I don't know if we should tell Dumbledore, I mean he could go to Azkaban," she said, "I think he wanted to do that - for his Mother. And him too, I guess."  
  
"Well, leave that up to him. If he wants to keep it a secret, our secret, I reckon we could do that."  
  
"Oh, Ron," she whispered, "I love you too." She kissed his cheek, "you should get some sleep."  
  
"I do believe its Malfoy's turn to guard."  
  
Hermione crawled back into bed, while Ron went over to wake Draco.  
  
***~~~***  
  
"She's so beautiful," Draco whispered to the silence of the dark hotel room, "I wonder why I never noticed before?"  
  
"Probably because you had your head stuck so far up your arse your entire life you didn't notice anyone but yourself," Harry answered for him, he had woken up in the night and was having trouble getting back to sleep.  
  
"Yeah, I probably deserved that."  
  
"Probably?"  
  
"Don't push it Potter."  
  
"I still don't trust you, Malfoy."  
  
"I know and I'm not asking you to, not just yet anyway. For what it's worth Potter, I'm sorry." Harry was silent for almost a minute, deciding first of all if he should believe what he was hearing, and second of all whether or not he should accept his apology.  
  
"For what? The names. The fights. The dirty tricks. Um.. Am I missing something?" Harry was cold. Malfoy, his eyes downcast, didn't say a word. Staring at Draco, Harry realised what a big step this was for him and Harry was ashamed of how much harder he was making it for him. "Thanks," he said, "I'm sorry too. I'm not sure if I can be your friend just yet, but for what it's worth Malfoy," Harry said, mocking him, "I no longer count you among my enemies."  
  
"Here," Draco said, passing Harry some chocolate, "I bought this yesterday, I'm a bit of a chocoholic actually, helps me cheer up, and this muggle stuff's not half bad."  
  
"Thanks." Harry took the clump of chocolate Draco broke off for him and they ate in silence for a bit.  
  
"Hey, Malfoy," Harry began, getting his attention and grinning at him, "you are such a prat,"  
  
"Where did that come from?"  
  
"That, my friend, was something that needed to be said a long time ago. Thanks for the chocolate; I'm going back to bed."  
  
***~~~***  
  
Draco Malfoy was extremely irritated to be woken at 7.30 the following morning. He was having a very nice dream about his childhood, one of his few happy memories. Before Lucius turned him to killing, there was so many people, so many nightmares. But not tonight, he thought that was because of Hermione, because he had finally done what he never had the courage to do, he had finally killed Lucius. His dream was about the park he showed Hermione. He remembered that day so well, Lucius was at a meeting and his mother took him to that park and he played on the swing with another little boy. Then suddenly he was curtly awoken by a sharp nip on the ear by a tawny owl baring the logo of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The owl had a note attached to its talon, Dumbledore's reply. Draco swiftly unhooked the note from the owl and read.  
  
Mr Malfoy,  
  
I understand that you would prefer to speak to me in person, I apparated to the leaky cauldron this morning and I have taken the liberty of ordering a rather large breakfast for you and your friends. We will talk after breakfast. I will be waiting for you downstairs, when you are ready.  
  
Albus Dumbledore.  
  
Draco breathed a sigh of relief when he knew Dumbledore was here. He glanced around the room to see the others asleep in what looked like rather uncomfortable positions. Harry was on the floor, he must have fallen asleep while he was guarding. Draco had done this himself, so he made a point not to make a big deal of it. Ron was squished up against the wall, Draco wondered why, since there was nothing forcibly holding him there. And Hermione, she had rolled off the bed in the night and was lying crumpled on the floor near Harry.  
  
Half an hour later, they were all awake and packed and heading downstairs to breakfast. Dumbledore had indeed prepared a rather large breakfast for them. None had had a decent meal for a few days, so they were all grateful for his efforts.  
  
"Welcome," Dumbledore smiled at them, "please sit."  
  
"Thank you, Sir." Hermione said, and took her seat. The boys nodded their thanks to Dumbledore and they too took their seats.  
  
"Help yourself," Dumbledore gestured to the food. "We'll discuss matters later."  
  
It was a fairly small table packed with pancakes, toast with all sort of different spreads, bacon, eggs, sausages, some strange looking slop that Harry assumed was porridge but was not brave enough to try, as well as two large jugs of pumpkin juice. The meal was eaten in silence, occasionally Tom came over to see if everything was okay. Once they were all finished Professor Dumbledore beckoned Tom over to the table and subtly requested a place where they could talk in private. Tom lead them down a long familiar passage, the same narrow passage Tom lead he and Cornelius Fudge down almost four years before. It was a different parlour which the five of them were lead into, much bigger, from memory, Harry thought the other would have much too small to fit them all in comfortably.  
  
"How are you all?" Dumbledore asked.  
  
"We're all fine, Professor, but Voldemort, he's in Venice," Hermione began, "he's in an old warehouse, I don't remember the street name but I - I could show you." Draco grabbed Hermione's hands which were moving frustrated in front of her. She closed her eyes tightly, Draco let go of her hands and placed one of them on her cheek. She opened her eyes and looked into his, "I don't want to cry anymore," she whispered.  
  
"I know," he answered.  
  
"I know you don't want to talk about this, but I really need to know exactly what happened, you will only have to say this once, I will talk to your families about everything afterwards. I believe Hermione and Draco need to start the story-"  
  
With input from everyone, the story was relayed to the Professor. It wasn't until they reached Draco's encounter with his father at the hotel, did their story begin to falter.  
  
"And the Lucius Malfoy apparated into the room and I accidentally levitated him into the air, and Hermione and Harry and Malfoy all cursed him and-"  
  
"And?" Dumbledore prompted Ron, who had stopped halfway through his explanation.  
  
"And the force of all the curses knocked him out and we just ran away." Ron finished.  
  
"I see," Dumbledore said. "I suppose you came straight here afterwards?"  
  
"Yes, Sir."  
  
"Well, you can not keep all of that money. But I am still unsure of what to do with it."  
  
"I know what to do with it," Harry said, glancing at Ron, "but I'd rather tell you in private."  
  
"Harry, I think that's a wonderful idea. I shall send for each of your families. Draco- perhaps not yours just yet. Is there someone you can stay with?"  
  
"No, not really."  
  
"He can stay with me and Sirius' in Godric's Hollow."  
  
"Perfect!"  
  
~~~***~~~  
  
The rest of the summer holidays weren't as bad as Harry thought it would be, he and Draco became somewhat friends and Ron and Hermione came and stayed for a few days, but their families preferred them home. This under the circumstances was understandable. The news got out that Lucius Malfoy had been murdered although the killer was unknown. Draco was somewhat tormented by Slytherin house once he began to associate with Harry and Ron and especially after it became obvious he and Hermione were an item. Still he would last the year. It was after all only a year. What could happen?  
  
***~~~***  
  
A/N: Well my friends, my dear, beloved, faithful readers and reviewers, that's it. Its finished. There may be a sequel. There may not. I dunno. If there is it may not be for a while I think I'm going to concentrate on school for a while. Nerdy little me, I know! Love and best wishes to all. And God bless. Lozza. XXXOOO  
  
Re: Knight Bus: In chapter 9 Harry and Ron use the Knight Bus to travel to Venice from Godric's Hollow. There was a reviewer who queried about the use of the Knight Bus in this chapter. According to the reviewer the Knight Bus is unable to travel over water, which may be true, I did look that up before I wrote the chapter and both Cari and I agreed that we could use the knight bus. "'So - so this bus,' he went on quickly, hoping to distract Stan, 'did you say it goes anywhere?' 'Yep,' said Stan proudly, 'anywhere you like, long's its on land. Can't do nuffink underwater.'" Page 31, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.  
  
I suppose it can be interpreted many ways. 


	12. Thanks to the Reviewers

I would like to thanks my reviewers for all their support and encouragement. Its all in alphabetical order:  
  
A  
  
Aindel  
  
Alwaysluvxoxo  
  
Angelena H. Granger  
  
Anorak  
  
ariel  
  
ash  
  
B  
  
Befuzzled  
  
C  
  
Chocolat Elf  
  
Crystalline Lily  
  
D  
  
Danae  
  
Death Ringer  
  
DeathValley79  
  
Depth  
  
dEsTiNy  
  
dobbie-luvs-sweeties  
  
DracoLegolasOliver r sexy  
  
Dragonsbane  
  
Dragon-Soul  
  
DreamGuide  
  
Dreaming One  
  
E  
  
Eclipse Rider  
  
Elle-poohbear  
  
F  
  
Fiery-Chan  
  
Fiona  
  
Firey Fairy  
  
Flaming Beauty  
  
Forever89  
  
F0xyness39  
  
G  
  
Garnet-blossom  
  
Gia Black  
  
Girl-named-Belle  
  
Gooey Gooey Coca Beans  
  
GooseFeathers  
  
Grindlow789  
  
H  
  
Hazeleyez  
  
heavengurl899  
  
hermione  
  
I  
  
iloverwforever  
  
J  
  
Jade Dagger  
  
Jen Drake  
  
Jessiebear  
  
Judge DP  
  
Just Chasing dreams  
  
K  
  
Kaitlin-Scott  
  
KAOS  
  
Keeper of the Circle  
  
Kirunai  
  
Kuro Angales  
  
L  
  
Lilpinkbunny  
  
Littletiger  
  
M  
  
M1ssBlackNails  
  
MarianneLinley and SarahQuinn  
  
Miss Perfect, ok mayb not  
  
Mistress Desdemona  
  
Mizu Ki  
  
N  
  
Nicole Christensen  
  
P  
  
PadfootB the Jesus Freak [another special thanks for your help]  
  
Q  
  
Queen of Fluff  
  
R  
  
Rita  
  
Rosetta  
  
S  
  
Sally  
  
Shadow Kitty  
  
Sila-Chan  
  
Smashed Sunshine  
  
T  
  
tears flow softly  
  
Telemoo37  
  
The Dragon Guardian of the Sea  
  
The Nori of the Universe [a very special thanks to you just coz ur u]  
  
Tracey 


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